Feel My Heart Turn Grey
by Phyren Ice
Summary: 2x01 Broken AU. Emma and Regina fall into the hat and find themselves stuck together in The Enchanted Forest. As they struggle to find a way home, the threat of Cora brings them together in a way they never thought possible. From violence to romance, abandonment to family, this story has it all. Swan Queen.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: I started writing this after season two aired but I never posted it for various reasons until now. This will be a multi-chaptered story and it takes place right at the end of 2x01 Broken in the town hall when the wraith is attacking and goes AU from there. (some season two plot lines make their way in but not many.) There is darkness and light, happiness and sadness. This story will be quite a journey that I hope you'll enjoy. Eventual Swan Queen.  
**

**Warning: It has an M rating for a reason; Curse words, torture, physical/mental abuse, mentions of child abuse, abortion, and miscarriage. None of this is in explict detail but if any of this bothers you, DO NOT READ this story! **

**Disclaimer: I begged my fairy godmother for the rights to Once Upon A Time, but she just patted my head and laughed before she shook her head no. So they're not mine, I'm just borrowing them. **

* * *

Emma shoved Regina out of the way when she saw the wraith heading in their direction but her push ended up knocking herself off balance and she suddenly felt her body being pulled into the portal. She watched as Regina fell off to the side as the wraith managed to bank away from the hat and fly up towards the ceiling. The last thing she witnessed as she was being sucked down the vortex was someone else tumbling in after her before everything went black.

"There's something over there," a woman's disembodied voice said.

"Philip, don't!" a different voice cried out.

The sound of heavy wood being tossed about was heard before light penetrated the sheriff's closed eyelids. A groan slipped out of her mouth as she slowly blinked open her eyes to take in her surroundings. The harsh light made her wince and she reached a hand up to her head.

"Where am I?" Emma mumbled.

"The Enchanted Forest," a male voice answered. "Who are you and what land did you and this woman come from?

_Woman?_

It was then that Emma realized a slender arm was draped over her stomach and a warm body was pressed against her side. Turning her head cautiously, the blonde gasped when she saw the dark tresses of hair that veiled the woman's face, the face she knew without a doubt belonged to the one and only Mayor of Storybrooke.

"Regina?" Emma whispered before she shook the brunette's shoulder. "Regina, wake up."

"Regina? As in Queen Regina who enacted the dark curse?" the woman warrior questioned.

Emma snapped her gaze to the medieval dressed people above them and shook her head. "Uh no...different Regina," Emma lied smoothly before her attention returned to her silent companion. "You need to wake up now."

The sheriff was growing concerned as the strangers watched her wearily. She managed to get out from under the brunette's grasp and carefully turned her over. Brushing ebony locks away from her face, Emma took a brief moment to admire the beauty of her son's mother before she tapped her cheek lightly.

"Madame Mayor, you're going to be late to work," Emma teased and to her surprise it worked.

Russet eyes snapped opened and she quickly sat up only to regret the action as she swayed a little before Emma steadied her. The heat was immediately felt where the savior placed her hands and both women froze.

"You can let go of me now, Miss Swan," Regina managed to snap as she glared at the blonde before her.

"Nice to see you're back to your sunny disposition," Emma quipped before she pulled away and stood up.

Regina noted the three people staring at them and she flashed her winning smile as she allowed the gentlemen of the group to assist her to stand. She whispered a silent thank you before she took in the scenery and realized with slight concern that she was back in her homeland.

"_Miss Swan?_ What kind of name is that?" the young woman asked.

"I'm the cousin of Miss Muffet, you know the one who sat on a tuffet," Emma joked but when three pairs of eyes gawked at her like she was crazy, she cleared her throat nervously as she slipped her hands into her back pockets. "Sorry. That's just Regina's pet name for me. My name is actually Emma. Who are you three?"

"I am Prince Phillip. These two lovely ladies are Mulan and Princess Aurora," Phillip introduced.

"Right, of course," Emma muttered before she turned away for a second to roll her eyes, which only the mayor had witnessed.

A smile ghosted upon Regina's lips at the savior's response before she straightened her jacket and set her business mask into place. "Tell me Prince Phillip, are you three the only survivors?"

"No My Lady, there are quite a few of us. We have taken refuge on an island where the ogres cannot reach us," he answered.

"Ogres?" Emma questioned in disbelief. "As in fe, fi, fo, fum?"

"That would be giants Miss Swan," Regina lectured under her breath. "So am I correct to assume that the ogre wars have once again struck the land?"

"You speak as though you are from here yet your clothing attire and blonde companion say otherwise," Mulan quipped before she stepped closer to Regina. "I feel as though you have something to hide."

The mayor simply remained impassive even though her mind screamed at her to choke the life from the insolent little brat. Emma watched the anger roll off the brunette in waves and she waited for the mayor to unleash her tentacles, so to speak.

The warrior woman stood her ground for a few seconds before she pulled back and approached the prince. "Phillip, I believe they need to be taken to the safe haven for Lancelot to make a decision."

"Mulan, let's not be hasty. These two have shown no reason for us to fear them. They can return with us willingly if they so desire," Phillip reasoned.

"A curse was unleashed upon this land and we know it was the work of a queen named Regina. Are you willing to let your chivalry cloud your judgment by allowing this woman to roam freely when she could be the evil queen herself?"

Emma couldn't explain the sudden need to protect Regina but something about the tone Mulan used when speaking about the mayor set off the white knight syndrome within her. Stepping up to the female warrior, the sheriff threw an accusing finger towards her. "I told you she wasn't Queen Regina! So what if she happens to share the same name as the one who cursed you all! Maybe her mother thought it was a pretty name or maybe it's the simple fact that more than one person can share the same name."

Mulan's eyes lit up before a grin spread across her face. "I believe I have the solution to this conundrum. How about we ask the evil queen's mother if this is in fact her daughter?" Mulan offered. "Then we'll know if your Regina is in fact a different person altogether, as you proclaim."

A sharp intake of breath was heard from behind Emma and they all turned to watch Regina rest a hand against her chest as she visibly turned pale. "The Queen of Hearts is here, in this land…_alive_?"

Phillip stared at the frightened woman quizzically. "Yes, she's imprisoned at the safe haven. She has no magic so you have nothing to fear."

The mayor started to hyperventilate as spots started to cloud her vision. "Miss Swan we have to leave…now!"

"Regina, what's wrong?" Emma asked in a low voice.

"You're not going anywhere!" Mulan barked.

"The hell I'm not!" Regina snarled before she threw her hands out towards the woman.

Emma flinched as she expected the warrior to go flying across the courtyard but instead nothing happened. The mayor felt like she was right back on her front porch with a crowd of angry people ready to tear her apart. Looking at her hands, she turned to Emma with questioning eyes. "I don't understand."

"Did you just try to use _magic_ on me?" Mulan roared and before anyone could blink, the warrior reached into a satchel and blew a handful of powder into Regina's face.

Emma shoved the warrior away from the mayor and caught her just as her eyes slipped closed and her body slumped. "What the hell did you do to her?!"

"Sleeping powder. It'll keep her out until we can get her back to the safe haven," Mulan answered before she approached the two women and reached down to grab the unconscious woman.

"Don't you dare touch her," Emma warned as she pulled Regina out of the warrior's reach. "I'll carry her myself."

"It's a day's journey," Phillip informed her. "At least take a horse. I'll help settle her in the saddle with you."

"Good thing I can ride," the sheriff muttered as she easily hefted the smaller woman into her arms and followed behind the three fairytale characters.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Dark chapter...you've been warned.  
**

* * *

Emma knelt beside the unconscious brunette as she watched Mulan close the hatch above their heads. They were imprisoned in a hole in the ground, literally, and Regina hadn't woken up from the sleeping powder yet.

She was about to tuck a lock of hair behind the fallen woman's ear when the sound of footfalls caused her to jump up and take a defensive stance.

"Who's there?" Emma called out.

"Don't fret child; I mean you no harm," A rich voice answered as an older woman appeared before her from the shadows.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Cora," The woman greeted.

"Why are you down here?" Emma questioned as she eyed the woman suspiciously.

"I'm afraid I'm being punished for my daughter's actions. You see, she is the one who brought the dark curse upon this land," Cora enlightened before she peeked around Emma's form and down at the slumbering woman. "My dear, sweet Regina."

The savior gasped before she shielded the mayor from Cora's point of view.

"So protective of someone who is the very reason you had to grow up in a foreign world without your parents," The older woman stated and she chuckled at Emma's stunned expression. "Yes, I know who you are…Emma. Tell me, what hold does my daughter have on you to cause such loyalty?"

"My son Henry, well Regina's son too…it's complicated," Emma stuttered before she sighed. "Anyway, he made me promise to protect her."

"You two share a son," Cora mused as a smile tugged at her lips. "I have a grandson…"

"Miss Swan?"

Ignoring the older woman for the moment, the savior knelt down by Regina's side and helped her to sit up.

"Who were you talking to?" the mayor questioned as she looked behind the blonde.

The sheriff turned to where she last saw Cora but was shocked to find the older woman was missing. Leaving Regina's side, she searched the entire pit only to discover that they were the only two down there.

"I don't understand…where did she go?" Emma muttered in confusion.

"Where did who go?" Regina inquired as she got to her feet.

Emma opened her mouth to answer but the hatch door above them swung open before two armored men jumped in and roughly grabbed Regina by the arms.

"Unhand me!" the mayor raged as they quickly hoisted her up the ladder and handed her off to a few other men that were waiting above.

"Hey!" Emma shouted as she latched onto one of the men and yanked hard. "Where the hell are you taking her?!"

The guard reacted by shoving her backwards and she tumbled to the ground. "Lancelot requests an audience with her," he offered as an answer before he followed his partner up the ladder.

Emma scrambled for the wooden ladder but they snatched it up before she could reach it and closed the hatch above her, leaving the stunned sheriff alone in the pit.

* * *

With the sleeping agent out of her system, Regina was fully alert when she was shoved against a wall and shackled. She tried to use her magic but it was useless; it had yet again abandoned her in a time of need. She was left in the empty room waiting until a dark silhouette loomed in the doorway.

"Well what do we have here? The Evil Queen herself if I'm not mistaken," Lancelot spat as he stepped into view.

Regina looked upon the steely knight and felt a shiver run down her spine. The only time she had ever felt that coldness run through her system was whenever her mother was nearby.

_It couldn't be her. _Regina thought to herself as she observed the tall dark man before her.

The sudden impact of a fist connecting with her face took her by surprise and she felt her teeth cut into her cheek before the blood started to pool in her mouth.

"How did you get here? How can I access the land from which you came?" Lancelot questioned before he struck her again. "Answer me!"

Regina rolled her neck to loosen the taunt muscles caused by the snap of her head before she glared at the knight before her. "Do you really think I will tell you anything?"

A punch to her gut caused the air to rush out from her lungs before she clenched her teeth and composed herself. "If you think torturing me will get you the answers you seek then you are a sadly misguided fool."

Another hard strike landed on her side and the mayor coughed out harshly as blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. Her ribs protested as she tried to inhale a lungful of air and she realized a few of them were probably broken.

"Maybe if I bring your son Henry into the conversation you would reconsider. I wouldn't want anything to happen to him because his mother couldn't protect him," Lancelot threatened. "Or maybe I'll kill Emma and you can explain to Henry that you're the reason she's dead. I'm sure he would never forgive you for that."

Regina's eyes flickered, showing a glimpse of her weakness before she schooled her features and grinned. "Henry is safe and as long as I remain quiet, you will have no way to reach him. As far as Emma is concerned, go ahead and kill her. You'd be doing me a favor."

A strong hand grasped her neck in a tight hold before squeezing. The brunette gasped as she struggled to breathe, watching as Lancelot leaned in close and sneered. "Make no mistake, I will find a way to your land with or without your help and when I do, I will find your precious son and take him away from you. You might have been an _Evil Queen_ to the people of the Enchanted Forest, but all you will ever be to me is a _foolish girl_."

Regina's eyes widened as memories from her childhood flashed through her mind from those last two simple words. _You are a foolish girl Regina. Love is weakness. Such a foolish girl, when will you ever learn that mother knows best? Who would ever want to marry such a foolish girl like you?_

The hand disappeared from her throat and she coughed as she drew in several ragged breaths. Lancelot stood before her with a smirk, waiting for Regina to piece together the puzzle that was laid out before her.

"It was you, wasn't it? You were the one speaking to Emma in the pit?" Regina rasped out. "Always meddling in my life, _Mother_."

Lancelot chuckled as blue smoke swirled around him before he transformed into Cora. "I have only done what was best for you, darling."

"You will _never _get anywhere near my son," Regina warned in a menacing tone.

"Maybe Emma would be more willing to bargain. He is her son too, is he not?"

"And that reason alone is why Emma won't fall for your tricks," the younger woman quipped.

"I guess I will have to give her a reason then," Cora replied before she slammed her hand into her daughter's chest and ripped out her heart. "This should do."

Regina gaped in shock as her mother held her glowing organ in her hands. "How is my heart…going to persuade her?"

Cora laughed as she gave the heart a small squeeze, watching in delight as her daughter cried out in pain.

"Apparently Emma made a promise to your shared son that no harm shall come to you," the older woman explained.

"Damn you to hell!" Regina suddenly roared. "You will stay out of my life and away from _my son,_ you malicious bitch!"

"How dare you disrespect me with your insolence! You may not be a child anymore but you are still _my_ child and for that, you need to be reminded how to behave as such!" Cora lectured as she waved her hands towards her daughter.

Regina's body was forcibly spun around to face the wall while the metal shackles were quickly replaced with magical ones. The mayor was taken completely off guard when she felt the first lash of the old familiar leather strap strike her hard across her back, tearing into the blazer and dress shirt she wore. Tears sprang to Regina's eyes when she felt the whip cut deeper on the second strike and she bit down hard onto her bottom lip to keep from crying out.

"This reminds me of your younger days. As a matter of fact, this is the same leather strap I had used back then," Cora enlightened before she thrashed out again. "Remember dear, you are never too old to be taught a lesson; after all, mother knows best."

It took every ounce of strength Regina had within her not to scream out in pain as her mother continued to whip her senseless. She knew her mother was using magic to enhance the blows in order to cut through her clothing and draw blood. The mayor lost count on how lashes had cut into her skin before her mother finally announced, "That will do," before she released the magical hold on her daughter and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Regina slumped to the ground and curled up on her side, allowing the tears to seep from her eyes as she tried to reign in her fear, fear that would've been unbearable at the moment if her heart had still been in her chest. Only her mother had the ability to turn the once strong and powerful woman into a quivering mess.

She could feel the blood oozing out of the ribbon of wounds that crisscrossed along her spine as the cool air licked at her exposed skin, her clothes nothing more than tattered strips of useless material hanging loosely across her back. She knew she had to get up and find Emma, but her mind had locked down into protection mode, preventing her from making any rational decisions at the moment.

* * *

Emma had tried for the umpteenth time to scale the walls of her current prison when a sudden tingle of laughter caused her to tumble down.

"Your attempts at escaping are fruitless my dear. The only way out is by ladder or by magic," Cora explained as she approached the fallen blonde.

"Doesn't hurt to try," Emma countered as she got to her feet. "Where is Regina?"

"Oh I'm sure she's sealed up in a tight ball right about now; at least that's how she used to respond years ago," Cora mused.

"What the hell did you do to her?" the sheriff snapped.

"I wondered where my daughter had picked up such vulgar language, but that is not why I am here."

"What do you want?"

"Answers. Tell me what I need to know and I will allow you to keep your promise to your son," Cora offered before she held up Regina's glowing heart. "By keeping my daughter alive."

"Is that what I think it is?"

"If you think it's Regina's heart then yes."

Emma gawked at the blackened organ in astonishment. "I can't believe you ripped out your own daughter's heart. What the fuck kind of monster are you?!"

"Tsk, tsk young Emma," Cora reprimanded as she waggled her index finger. "I have been kind to you up until now but I will not stand for your crass obscenities much longer. Tread carefully with how you answer me next; how did you get here and where is the portal to get to your land?"

"Why would I tell you that?"

"All it takes is a squeeze of my hand to grind her heart into dust and she will die. If you are able to tell Henry that you allowed his mother to perish while you stood idly by, well then I have no qualms to just simply…" Cora paused as she squeezed the organ tightly in her grasp until small fissures started to appear.

"Stop, stop! Alright, I'll tell you whatever you want just please stop!" Emma begged.

The older woman released her grip and let the heart relax in her palm. "Well, on with it then."

"We came through the Mad Hatter's hat which dropped us off in Aurora's kingdom. The portal closed behind us though so as of right now, there is no way back. Regina and I are stuck here."

"Now was that so difficult," Cora chastised before she carelessly tossed the heart to Emma, who clumsily caught the organ before it hit the ground. "Do what you want with it."

The sheriff cradled the heart in her hands as she watched the older woman vanish. She knew she should be disgusted with holding the mayor's dark beating heart, but instead she felt nothing but remorse.

"If you can hear me Regina, just hang in there. I'll be coming for you soon," Emma murmured towards the heart, not realizing that the brunette could in fact actually hear her.

* * *

Emma's soft words penetrated Regina's fragile state of mind and she suddenly felt alive again. She could sense that the savior was in possession of her heart which meant her mother no longer held her fate. Forcing herself into a sitting position, she stifled a cry as the wounds on her back ripped open again. Suddenly screams from outside pierced the air and she halted her movements as she listened to what sounded like a horrible nightmare of agonizing pain.

"Mother," Regina whispered, knowing that she was most likely responsible for the tortured chaos happening outside the hut.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Thank you for the reviews, favs, and follows :) **

* * *

Emma had to get out of the pit but now she feared the possibility of slipping and falling onto Regina's fragile heart. Gritting her teeth, she started to pace in aggravation when suddenly the ground shook overhead, causing dirt to rain down upon her as shrilling screams sliced through the atmosphere.

She dipped her head in sadness, knowing she was completely helpless as she heard people's frantic cries until they were suddenly cut off, most likely killed by something or someone that was attacking the people in the supposed safe haven.

It was only a matter of minutes before the air went still and no more sound was heard. It was an eerie silence that made the savior all the more anxious to find Regina and get the hell out of there because running was something she was good at. She carefully tucked the mayor's heart into her pocket before she tried once more to climb the wall but the loose soil broke away and Emma found herself tumbling down. She managed to break her fall but it was too close to hurting Regina's heart to risk doing it again. A growl ripped from her throat in frustration as she clutched at her wavy blonde tresses and tugged.

"Damn it! What I wouldn't give for a fucking ladder right now!" Emma shouted as she threw her hands out in anger.

A wooden ladder unexpectedly materialized before her and she stumbled back in amazement. "What the…no way."

Afraid it might suddenly disappear, she quickly grabbed the ladder and positioned it under the hatch before scaling it. The hatch was heavy but with a good push, she managed to force it open before she clambered out of the pit and stood up.

Sorrow clouded her features as she took in the carnage that surrounded her. Bodies were haphazardly draped across the ground at odd angles and the sheriff realized everyone was dead. She carefully walked around the corpses, but she couldn't help but look upon every face, hoping she didn't recognize any of them; especially Regina.

_She's fine._ Emma kept telling herself. _Her heart wouldn't still be beating in your pocket if she was dead._

Still, she had to check every corpse just to be sure. As she reached the biggest hut, she frowned when she did find a familiar face lying lifeless on the stairs belonging to none other then the young Prince Phillip. Upon closer inspection she observed that the only wound was a chest wound, where one's heart would rest.

"Cora," Emma muttered in disdain before she made her way inside the hut.

"Regina, are you in here?" the sheriff called out.

"I'm over here," the mayor replied in a small voice and she smiled in relief when the blonde entered the room she was occupying. "I'm glad to see you survived."

The savior froze on the spot when she took in the smaller woman's battered and bloody appearance. "Jesus Christ Regina! What the hell did she do to you?"

"Nice to see you too," the brunette quipped as she attempted to stand on her own.

A hiss escaped her lips as she teetered sideways before strong arms wrapped around her torso and held her up. She cried out in pain when Emma's arm hit the inflamed injuries on her back and she felt the savior quickly pull away. Her eyes slammed shut of their own accord as she attempted to quell the pain when feather light touches startled her as they brushed along her spine.

"My God Regina," the blonde whispered as she took in the damage. "I'm going to kill that bitch when I get my hands on her."

The mayor barked out in laughter before she turned to face Emma. "As much as I'd like to see that, I'm afraid my mother is the most powerful witch in this land."

"We'll see about that," Emma grumbled before she gently pulled the heart from her pocket. "I believe this belongs to you."

Regina couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. "I was afraid she was going to crush it."

"I wouldn't let that happen."

"Why? After everything I have done…," the brunette wondered as her sentence trailed off.

Emma shrugged. "I made a promise to Henry."

"He's not here in this world. You could easily fool him with a lie by telling him you did everything you could to protect me but I perished in the end. He would have believed it because you can never do wrong by him."

Emma paused for a moment. She could easily lie and say the evil queen died in a battle against her more powerful mother but the thought caused nothing but grief to grip at her heart. Something akin to care for the older woman flourished within her as she cradled the mayor's heart in her hands and she couldn't explain why but she knew that for whatever reason, Regina couldn't die.

"How did we put this back?" Emma questioned as she changed the subject.

Regina furrowed her brows as she wondered why her question was so difficult for the savior to answer but she let it go…for now.

"You have to push it back in," the mayor explained.

"What?! Are you serious?"

"As a heart attack, Miss Swan," she replied.

The savior quirked an eyebrow. "Did you just crack a joke? Why Madame Mayor, I thought that was beneath you?"

Regina rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Let's get this over with shall we? I would like to leave this place as soon as possible."

"No argument there," Emma agreed.

"Just place it against my chest and push it in. Being that you apparently have magic yourself, it should go in fairly easy."

"Yeah about that," Emma started as she held the heart against Regina's chest. "I made a ladder appear out of thin air. I wanted to get out of the pit and suddenly there it was."

"So you can use magic," the brunette replied before she frowned. "If only my magic would be as cooperative."

"Well, here goes nothing," Emma warned as she pushed against the organ.

Like a knife through soft butter, the heart easily slid into Regina's chest cavity, but the rush of magic through both of their bodies was completely unexpected. A white aura emanated from their skin and they gasped simultaneously as they witnessed each others eyes glow in brilliant hues of violet and gold.

Emma withdrew her hand the minute she felt the heart was settled back into place and like a plug being pulled from a socket, their eyes and skin quickly returned to normal. Both were panting heavily as they tried to collect themselves.

"What...the hell...was that?" Emma huffed out.

"I have no idea...that's never happened before," Regina admitted before she ground her teeth together as the pain in her body made itself known. "We'll discuss this later but for now we must leave."

Without another word, Emma helped the older woman out of the hut and away from the massacre of the safe haven.

* * *

They had easily made their way into the forest and traveled for some time before Regina pleaded with the sheriff to stop. Carefully lowering the brunette to the ground, Emma used the break as a chance to see what injuries the shorter woman had sustained.

Cupping Regina's chin tentatively, the mayor felt a rush of heat at the affectionate touch before she hardened her eyes and drew back. "What do you think you are doing, Sheriff?"

"Checking your injuries; Aside from bruising, there doesn't seem to be any broken bones in your face," Emma observed before she reached down and tentatively pressed on Regina's sides, which caused the mayor to hiss sharply between her clenched teeth. "Your ribs however seem to be cracked, maybe even broken. I'd say about three on your left side."

"Very observant of you," she growled as the sheriff continued to move further south. A sudden rush of heat tinted her cheeks when Emma's hands suddenly roamed over each one of her legs, moving dangerously close to the apex of her thighs. It took a few seconds for her to finally spit out a coherent thought.

"My legs are fine, Miss Swan!"

Emma couldn't help but notice what her actions were doing to the brunette and she grinned like a Cheshire cat. "Yes, I know."

Her cheeks reddened even more and she observed the savior's eyes darken slightly in response. The unfamiliar interaction was too much for her to deal with at the moment and she tore her gaze away from the blonde before she muttered. "If you'll excuse me, I need a moment to rest."

Emma frowned as she realized she must've taken it too far. The two of them always had a love-hate relationship but something literally sparked between them when she had replaced Regina's heart and now she felt the need to lean more towards the love part and away from the hate. It confused her to no end.

The sheriff sighed as she gazed upon the damaged woman with a sad expression. "I wish there was a way I could heal you."

Regina turned to face her. "What?"

"I said I wish there was a way…I want to heal you," Emma snapped and no sooner had the words left her mouth, her hands started to pulse with a golden-white glow. "Holy hell!"

"Miss Swan?" Regina questioned as she witnessed the younger woman's hands glow bright with magic.

Suddenly Emma understood and she hesitantly reached out towards the mayor but she immediately recoiled, causing the savior to pause.

"Hey...trust me okay," the sheriff murmured before she reached out once again.

Emma touched her ribs first and Regina's breath hitched as she felt her bones knit back together and heal before the sheriff raised her hand and traced it along her battered face. The touch sent butterflies through the brunette's stomach and she shivered at the foreign feelings that stirred within her.

"Remove you jacket and shirt and turn around," Emma commanded.

"I beg your pardon?"

"You heard me," Emma replied with a cocky grin. "Please? So I can heal your back?"

The mayor glared for a moment before she relented and did as she was asked. Emma averted her eyes as the brunette stripped the tattered clothes from her slim frame before she used the material to protect her modesty by holding the items against her chest.

"You can look now, Miss Swan."

The sheriff directed her attention to Regina's angry wounds that marred her back. Gently gliding her hands from the brunette's shoulders down, she watched in awe as the wounds stitched up and disappeared, leaving behind a flawless olive-toned skin in its wake. She took a second to admire the mayor's exposed back before she pulled away, watching as the magic vanished from her hands.

"All done," Emma stated as she tried to keep from staring at Regina's exposed body.

"Thank you," the brunette replied as she offered a genuine smile.

"No problem," the savior mumbled in response before she nodded her head towards the ruined material that the mayor was tightly clutching. "Sorry I couldn't fix your clothes."

"I may have a solution to that. Give me your hand." Regina said as she stood up and Emma quickly followed suit.

The sheriff hesitated a moment before she clasped hands with the other woman. Regina felt a surge of energy and magic rush through her body and by Emma's reaction, she knew she felt it too. The sheriff watched as purple smoke whirled around the mayor for a few seconds before it disappeared. In its wake, Regina now stood in brown leather pants and knee-high boots with a long-sleeved white shirt and a soft brown leather vest. Emma couldn't help but gawk at the unexpected clothing choice the other woman now donned.

"You'll catch flies Miss Swan," Regina pointed out with a smirk.

The sheriff quickly snapped her jaw shut and swallowed. "You look uh, nice."

The mayor chuckled and the blonde had the right to blush. Neither took notice to the fact that they were still holding hands.

"Power suits and pencil skirts would be problematic in this realm for what we need to do," The brunette explained. "Luckily you dress like a man so your clothing will be suitable for our quest."

"Hey! I wear girly clothes...sometimes," Emma scoffed, causing the brunette to chuckle.

The mayor looked down at their linked hands and grinned. "For some reason your magic balances mine out, almost like they're connected somehow," Regina mused. "I think I know a way to return to Storybrooke but we'll have to tread carefully. Cora is lurking around somewhere."

"You know this land better than I do so lead the way."

"First stop is the wardrobe."

Emma's eyes widened. "_The_ wardrobe as in the one little baby me went through?"

"The one and only," Regina clarified before they both disappeared in a puff of purple smoke.


	4. Chapter 4

The two women appeared in the crumpled remains of Emma's nursery and the mayor withdrew her hand from the blonde's almost immediately, causing the savior to stumble on her feet.

"Holy shit!" Emma gasped as she hunched over to try and catch her breath. "Warn a sister next time you're gonna pull a stunt like that."

"Sorry dear, I forgot how disorientating teleportation could be to someone unfamiliar with it," Regina chortled with an amused grin. "I will give you due notice when I use it again."

Emma stretched up and gave a half smirk. "Thanks," she replied before she took in her surroundings. "Is this…?"

"Your nursery? Yes," the mayor answered before she approached the wardrobe. "Here is how you got to Maine."

"I remember seeing this in Henry's story book," Emma declared as she ran her hands along the rough bark of the tree stump. A sudden thought struck her and she turned her focus on the woman beside her. "What were you going to do with me?"

"Excuse me?"

"If this didn't exist, what were you going to do with me?" the sheriff reiterated.

Regina closed her eyes as she blew out a shaky breath. "I was going to keep you as my own."

Emma snorted, causing dark eyes to snap in her direction. "I'm sorry it's just, how awkward would that have been? I wouldn't have aged which means I couldn't break the curse so you were looking at what? Eternity of raising a newborn."

The mayor quirked an eyebrow at Emma's revelation. "When you put it that way, I guess it was a good thing that you managed to escape the curse."

"Now you think so?"

"A year of having a wailing newborn would drive any woman to the brink of insanity. Any longer than that and I probably would've left you on Mary Margaret's doorstep before I ingested my own poisoned apple."

Emma laughed. "You really didn't think this whole curse thing through, did you?"

"Of course she didn't," Cora suddenly boomed from behind them. "She never thinks about the consequences of her actions, which only leads to her making the same foolish mistakes over and over again. She could've had everything if she wasn't so blinded by her ridiculous vengeance over her fallen stable boy."

Emma watched as Regina visibly shrunk from her mother's accusations and she felt that overwhelming urge once again to protect the former evil queen.

"You're really starting to piss me off lady," the savior growled as she shifted to stand in front of the mayor.

The older woman cackled loudly. "Oh this is just too precious. Has Regina's white knight come to save her from the big bad mommy?"

Emma didn't realize the defensive stance she took or the way Regina seemed to cower slightly behind her. She knew something shifted in her opinion for the woman behind her but what it was or why, she wasn't sure. Snapping her attention back to witch in front of her, she felt her eyes narrow to sharpened points.

"Back off Cora; I'm warning you," Emma threatened.

"Is that any way to speak to your Mother-in-law?" the older woman chastised before she threw her hands out.

An invisible force gripped at the sheriff's body before it slammed her into the nearby wall. Cora stalked menacingly towards Emma as she struggled against the invisible bindings. "Foolish girl; I should just rip your heart out and be done with you."

"Mother no!" Regina screamed from behind her and without warning, Cora went flying across the room.

It was enough to stun the older woman, causing her magical hold on the savior to release. Emma hit the ground hard but not hard enough to break anything. Regina helped her up before they ran for the wardrobe, only to stopped just short of it when the area rug grabbed their ankles and held them in place.

"You think I'm that easy to be rid of?" the older woman snapped as the rug wrapped around the two women like a charmed snake. "You both can helplessly watch as I use this portal to find your son and take him away from you forever!"

"Like hell you will!" Regina spat before she managed to free her arm and toss a fireball at the wardrobe.

"No!" Cora screamed as she watched the decorated tree trunk go up in flames.

The wardrobe quickly burned, leaving nothing but a pile of smoldering ashes behind.

"This isn't over," Cora warned before she disappeared, causing the rug to fall lifelessly to the ground.

"Are you okay?" Regina asked in concern as she ran her hands uncharacteristically down the savior's arms.

"I'm good, are you?"

The brunette realized the intimacy of her actions and tore her hands away as if they were scorned by Emma's skin. "I'm alright but we need to go before she returns. I know somewhere she can't go." Regina said as she took the sheriff's hand. "This is your warning," she added before they vanished from the nursery.

As soon as they left, Cora reappeared and approached the wardrobe ashes. Taking a good handful, she poured the remains into a glass jar and shook it. Purple mist puffed inside the glass and Cora grinned.

"Mother always knows best," she murmured to herself before she capped the glass jar and vanished.

* * *

Emma fought to hold her stomach contents down when the landed in yet another place.

"We should be safe here," Regina offered before she left Emma's side to search for something.

"Where are we?" the sheriff asked as felt her equilibrium return before she took in the grand room and dark stone walls.

"My palace."

"Of course it is, what was I thinking? The dark and gloomy décor should've given it away; it just screams Evil Queen," Emma jabbed sarcastically. "I do find it funny though, how it's a complete opposite of the house you have in Storybrooke."

"Unlike my house in Storybrooke, I had no hand in the decoration nor design of this palace. Snow's father had this built," Regina clarified with disdain. "I just darkened it a little, like any good villain would."

Emma couldn't help the slight jaw drop in response. "My mother willingly grew up here in this place?"

"Yes and it was my prison for many years until the king had a _unfortunate _accident," the brunette murmured in a rich tone.

Instead of frightening the savior, Emma just rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Unfortunate my ass."

Regina was momentarily stunned by the blonde's response. She felt the magnetic pull to approach the younger woman and she gave into it without question. The savior was startled to find Regina's lithe form suddenly invading her personal space but it wasn't uncomfortable; more like welcoming.

"Tell me Miss Swan, why don't you fear me?" the mayor questioned in a sultry voice.

Emma shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe I just don't find you as scary as people make you out to be."

"I've done horrible things to people, to your parents especially."

"Everyone has their demons. I'm not exactly pure and holy like I probably should be, being the savior and all," Emma noted.

Regina leaned impossibly closer. "Have you ever _killed_ anyone, Miss Swan?"

The sheriff sucked in a shaky breath at their proximity. "N-no."

"I didn't think so," the mayor replied before she stepped back. "I'm a monster dear, no better than the very woman I despise."

"Your mother," Emma answered for her. "You're better than her Regina. You could've remained evil but you didn't. You obviously changed, probably because of Henry. I mean if you think about it, our son is your savior."

Regina bit her lip as her eyes clouded over with moisture. She never thought of Henry as her own personal savior. "Our son?" she repeated as if trying it on for size.

Emma however took it as the start of the mayor lashing out and backtracked. "I'm sorry I meant your son; _your_ son is your savior."

Regina shook her head and smiled. "No, you are correct. He is no longer just my son, he hasn't been for a while now. Henry has indeed become…_our _son."

Something about the way it rolled off Regina's tongue sounded so right to Emma's ears and she couldn't help the lopsided grin she gave in response. "Makes some sense now as to why Cora called herself my mother-in-law."

The older woman froze. "She did?"

"Yeah right before she pinned me to the wall. At the time I didn't think anything of it because I was being attacked by a crazy witch but now, I think I get it. Henry has two moms so technically she could be a form of my mother-in-law, even though we aren't together in that way," the sheriff explained in a rush before she caught sight of the brunette's still frozen form. "Regina, what is it?"

"My mother never says anything she doesn't mean. She is very cunning and everything is a riddle, a clue, a hidden meaning with her."

"What are you implying?"

Regina shook the thoughts from her head and sighed. "I don't know yet."

Emma stared after the brunette as she briskly walked to one of the several mirrors that adorned the grand room.

"I need to try to contact Gold. He might be able to help us."

The sheriff quickly approached the mayor's side. "You can do that?!"

"I hope so. Rumplestiltskin and I have a long standing of hate for one another but Cora is the one thing that would bridge that gap. If he knows that she is trying to gain access to Storybrooke, he'll help us."

Regina placed her hand against the mirror but nothing happened. Without permission, she reached out to her side and took Emma's hand into her own and the mirror immediately sparked to life from the bonded touch. Smoky swirls of greys and purples twisted inside the looking glass before it produced an image of Mr. Gold's backroom at his shop.

"Gold, are you there?" Regina questioned. "Gold!"

"H-hello? Is somebody in here?" A woman's voice called out.

"Over here!" Emma shouted. "In the mirror."

A brown-haired woman stood before them and the blonde sighed in elation. "Oh thank God!"

"Hello Belle. Could you please inform Rumple that I request an audience with him. Tell him it has to do with Cora," the mayor requested.

Emma could see a flicker of fear and recognition cross over Belle's features before she nodded and hurried out of the room. Regina took the moment to turn to the taller woman and whispered. "See, now that is how people are supposed to react to me."

"Like how you react to your mother," Emma pointed out. "Sorry Regina but if your mother hasn't been able to strike fear into me, than you never will."

The mayor stared in shock before they heard footsteps approaching on the other side.

"Well if it isn't the woman who locked my beloved away from me in the mental ward. Belle, you recognize the bitch that held you captive?" Gold sneered.

"Enough!" Emma snapped. "We don't have time for this. Cora is hunting us down and trying to gain access to Storybrooke so she can kidnap our son and do God knows what else to our quaint little town. Can you help us out or not?"

The mayor glanced at the younger woman out of the corner of her eye and fought the urge to smile at Emma's authoritative attitude towards the imp.

Rumple eyed the sheriff before he flashed his shit-eating grin. "I will help you, but only because Cora cannot be allowed here in this world."

"What do you want in return?"

"Consider this a freebie," Gold replied.

"Fine," Emma huffed. "Cora was going to use my wardrobe as a portal but we managed to burn it down before she could use it."

Rumple giggled. "She wasn't going to actually use the wardrobe; she just needed its essence."

Regina growled as realization dawned on her. "Of course. She can't get to Storybrooke without direction."

"Now you're catching on. Hope you have those wrist cuffs handy," Gold hinted.

"Thanks," Regina quickly mumbled before she pulled away from the mirror, severing the connection to Storybrooke.

"Would you like to include me in on what the hell the two of you were going on about?" Emma questioned.

The brunette closed her eyes and summoned the items she needed for their quest. Two black wrist cuffs appeared in her free hand and she smiled before she released Emma's hand.

"I hope you're not afraid of heights, Miss Swan," Regina murmured before she clasped one of the bands around the sheriff's wrist. "We have a beanstalk to climb."


	5. Chapter 5

"You know...when you said we'd be climbing a beanstalk, I thought you were just yanking my chain," Emma indicated as her eyes followed the endless stalk up into the clouds.

"What would I gain by deceiving you now?" Regina questioned to a surprised sheriff before she reached for a foothold along the base. "It's a long journey so we better start climbing."

The savior grumbled in response as she mimicked the older woman's actions and started to climb up. "Why can't we just teleport ourselves up there?"

"Unfortunately for us this beanstalk is enchanted, so the only way to reach the castle above is by having these charmed bracelets and ascending the beanstalk the old fashioned way," Regina explained as she continued to scale the side of the trunk.

"Climbing a beanstalk with the Evil Queen to get Jack Sparrow's magical compass from the giant who went after Jack in order to stop the Queen of Hearts from kidnapping our son," Emma groveled as she begrudgingly continued up. "Fucking fairytales."

Regina listened to her rant with raised eyebrows before she chuckled under her breath.

"Something funny, _Your Majesty_?" Emma snapped as she sidled up beside the brunette .

"Nothing at all, _Princess_," the mayor replied smoothly.

The fair-haired woman paused for a moment before she glared at the woman beside her. "I am _not_ a princess."

"Actually by birth right you are. Your grandfather was king and your mother was a princess so that makes you royalty."

"Well in that case, since you were married to my grandfather, that makes you my step-grandmother," Emma mused, delighted in the way it made the other woman's nose and eyes flare.

"Not by choice," the brunette snapped before she turned cold eyes towards the savior. "And if you _ever_ refer to me as your step-grandmother again, I will bind you to a tree and let the forest gnomes beat you to death with a plastic spoon. Do you have any idea as to how long that would take to actually kill you?"

The blonde shook her head.

"Would you like to find out?" Regina questioned in a menacing voice.

The blonde's eyes widened before she shook her head again.

"Then we are clear on the whole step-grandmother thing?"

"Crystal," Emma squeaked, embarrassed by the way her voice sounded like an adolescent boy.

"Good," the mayor purred in response before she returned her attention to ascending the beanstalk.

They continued their climb in silence for a few minutes until a sudden thought crossed Emma's mind.

"Can I ask you a dumb question?"

Regina paused before she grinned mischievously at the other woman. "Better than anyone I know, Miss Swan."

"Ha ha," the sheriff mock laughed while she rolled her eyes. "I'm just wondering how old you are. Not how old you should be but how old you are now, or were when the curse was set in motion. Am I making any sense?"

"Sadly yes; it must be the thinning of the atmosphere," Regina answered and she flashed an amused grin before she continued to climb. "I was 32."

Emma seemed stumped by her answer. "If you were…how old is Mary Margaret?"

The mayor thought for a moment. "She would've been 26 when I brought on the curse."

The savior stopped climbing and gaped. "My mother is _younger_ than me?! That's just so fucked up."

"That's a colorful way of putting it."

"Wait a second; you guys are only six years apart? How old were you when you married her father?"

Emma didn't miss the subtle change in the older woman's posture and silently regretted bringing up the past; something that she knew was a sore subject for the mayor.

"You have to understand Miss Swan; life was different here in this land. According to your world it would have be considered old fashioned," Regina explained as she paused to get around a difficult spot on the stalk. "A woman was scorned as an old maid if she wasn't married by the age of twenty."

"Wasn't Mary Margaret over twenty when she married my…David?"

Regina pursed her lips in amusement. "I suppose she was but I'm afraid that wasn't entirely her fault. With King George and I being ruthless in our pursuit for them, they didn't have time to wed. Although according to Henry's book, they did marry twice."

"They did?!"

The brunette nodded. "You should consider reading his book when we return and brush up on the true stories about all of us, not the glorified versions that Mr. Disney made."

"I'd rather hear them from the source than read it from a book," Emma confessed.

The mayor arched an eyebrow. "Are you saying you want me to tell you my life story because I can assure you dear, it isn't a happy one."

"I kinda gathered that from your psycho mother who beat the shit out of you and the whole curse thing that you unleashed on well, everybody," the blonde pointed out as she swiped her arm across her sweat-beaded forehead. "Look, we still have a long ass climb ahead of us so why not? What have you got to lose?"

Regina contemplated it before she sighed. "Alright...the youngest memory I could recall was when I was five years old. That was the first time I distinctly remember getting my first taste of unhappiness when my mother scolded me for not showing up for tea-time."

"Tea, really?"

"A lady never refuses tea-time," Regina quoted as if programmed to respond that way. "It was the first time my mother punished me with the leather strap."

Emma heard the break in the other woman's voice and frowned. "Hey, let's just skip the childhood memories and jump ahead to when you met my mother."

Regina snorted in a way that was more like the sheriff than herself. "Sure, because that was such a happier time in my life."

"Sorry I asked," Emma muttered. "Let's just drop it."

The older woman looked over at the blonde and felt guilty. It was natural for her to lash out at everybody but she could see it plainly written on Emma's face that she really just wanted the truth, regardless of how ugly it got.

"No I apologize," the mayor responded before she continued. "It all started with your mother clinging onto a runaway horse…"

* * *

After several hours of climbing the beanstalk, the exhausted women collapsed onto the solid stone ground as they tried to catch their breaths.

"Holy shit! I just worked off every bear claw I ever ate while living in Storybrooke," Emma panted out.

"We're too exposed here. We need to find cover until we're ready to move on," Regina suggested. "Over there under that giant's shield should suffice."

"Alright, let's go," the sheriff replied before she wrapped an arm around the brunette's waist while Regina threw her arm around Emma's shoulders.

Both were too exhausted to argue about the intimate contact as they half-dragged, half-ran each other across the long desolate courtyard before they reached the abandoned giant shield and fell into a heap underneath it. Their breaths mingled together as Emma had practically held Regina on top of her exhausted, prone body. Eyes locked in a heated gaze and neither could find the strength to pull apart. Magic pulsed like electrified currents where their bodies touched and suddenly the strain from climbing a mile high beanstalk disappeared. It took a few minutes before the younger woman regained enough control of her limbs to gently move the brunette off of her and to the side.

"That was…interesting," Emma admitted, finding it strange that she didn't use the word awkward.

"Indeed," Regina agreed as she tried to control her racing heart. "Since we're magically rejuvenated, let's go find the giant and finish this."

"Should we knock or just enter?" the blonde asked in amusement.

The mayor rolled her eyes and stood up, brushing dirt from her renaissance clothing. "Why don't you do what you're so good at and make yourself at home. I'm sure the giant wouldn't mind the intrusion," the brunette playfully jabbed back.

"Making myself at home would involve a soft bed and a sexy bru…," Emma suddenly cut off her words and blushed when she realized what she was about to say.

"Don't stop now Miss Swan. Please, do go on and finish your sentence," Regina pushed as her lips curled into a dark grin.

The blonde's cheeks reddened even more as her hands made their way into her back pockets while her gaze rooted itself to the ground. "I, I was gonna say a sexy bru-bruiser named Ringo; Ringo the pit bull cause I like pit bulls."

The building tension between them suddenly pulsated around them like a blanket of desire. Emma risked looking up and regretted the action almost immediately as she witnessed the darkening of Regina's eyes. Even more surprising was the visible flush of heat on the brunette's skin as she openly leered at the sheriff.

As if her body had a mind of its own, the older woman sauntered into the savior's personal space and positioned her lips beside the blonde's ear.

"I do hope you aren't referring to me as a pit bull," Regina warned in a husky tone.

Emma bit her bottom lip and screwed her eyes tightly shut, willing her body not to respond. All she wanted to do was pull the older woman into her arms and kiss her senseless. _What the fuck is going on with me?!_ Emma thought as she tried to make sense of everything. She wasn't even friends with this woman when they entered this world but now she felt…love? _No, not love!_ She wasn't willing to say it was that but it was definitely something.

Regina thought her heart was going to fly out of her chest from how hard it was pounding. She couldn't understand what shifted between her and her enemy's daughter but something was permanently altered. Feeling the tension flow from Emma and fighting against her own needs, the mayor forced herself to step back and headed for the enormous door. When she realized Emma didn't follow suit after a few seconds, she turned back and saw the sheriff hadn't budged.

"Are you coming?" the brunette called out to the younger woman.

Emma blinked her eyes open and saw the mayor was far away. If she didn't know any better, she would've thought she had imagined their whole exchange.

"Yeah...I'm right behind you," she managed to respond as she fell into step behind the mayor and followed her into the castle.

* * *

Dealing with Anton the giant went smoother then they had anticipated and within the hour they were already making their descent down the beanstalk.

"I must say I am quite impressed that you managed to convince that giant to give you the compass," Regina praised as they carefully made their way down. "And willingly release us, nonetheless."

"He was just misunderstood," the sheriff countered. "If people would've given him a chance and listened to his side of the story, things might've ended differently for Anton and his family."

"Not everyone can be as optimistic as you, Emma," the mayor replied.

The savior froze when she heard her first name droll out over the brunette's tongue.

"Is something wrong?" Regina questioned as she realized the blonde had stopped moving.

"Uh no it's just, I think that's the first time I ever heard you speak my first name," she explained. "I like it."

The mayor pursed her lips. "Hmm, I'll have to keep that in mind…Emma."

The sheriff chuckled and they continued the rest of the way down in a comfortable silence.

The trip didn't seem to take as long as the climb up and before they knew it, the ground was in view far below them. Seeing land made Emma very anxious and she practically slid the rest of the way down before she jumped ungracefully at the bottom and landed on her side before she rolled haphazardly onto her back.

"Are you alright?" Regina called down as she watched the blonde's impact with mild amusement.

"I'm fine just hurry up, will you?" Emma shouted up as she remained lying on the ground for a few seconds, enjoying the view of the mayor's backside as she continued her journey down.

When Regina reached the last few feet, the sheriff got up and offered her hand out to help her down.

"Well aren't you just _charming_," The mayor teased with a half smirk before she reached out towards the blonde. Her fingertips had just barely brushed against Emma's palm when a yelp escaped her throat. She clambered down the rest of the way before she surveyed her newly acquired injury.

"What is it?" Emma asked in concern.

"A thorn on the beanstalk jabbed me," the older woman responded as she watched blood pool out of the tiny pinprick located on the pad of her index finger.

"Thorn? There aren't any thorns on the…Regina!"

Emma caught the brunette just before she would've hit the ground, but the momentum of the falling mayor's body caused the sheriff to collapse hard onto her knees. She ignored the agony radiating through her legs as she cradled the mayor against her chest. "Regina? Regina, wake up!"

"Your cries are useless dear, for they fall on nothing but deaf ears," Cora sneered as she suddenly appeared beside them.

"What did you do?!" the sheriff growled as she tightly held on to the fallen woman.

"I did nothing more than what she had done to your mother Snow White; I put her in a sleeping curse."

Emma looked towards the beanstalk with suspicious eyes before turning to the older brunette. "The thorn. I thought it had to be taken willingly?"

"How could I be labeled as the most powerful witch if I couldn't alter a measly little sleeping curse?" Cora ruefully countered before she hardened her gaze. "Now hand over the compass."

"Fix her and I'll consider it."

The older woman chuckled. "That isn't how this works dear. Now give me the compass before I make her sleeping curse her death curse."

"Back off!" Emma roared and she watched in awe as the witch went flying through the air before her body impacted with a tree some distance away. She quickly glanced down to see if Regina woke up but the mayor remained unconscious.

Cora screamed in anger as she got to her feet and charged towards the two women before she towered over them menacingly.

"How dare you use magic on me!" the older brunette raged before she reached a hand up and touched the back of her head. Her gloved digits returned with a crimson liquid coating them and she widened her eyes in shock. "You injured me…nobody injures me!"

Emma scrunched up, waiting for the blow that would probably end her life but instead she heard only laughter.

"Foolish girl," Cora spat out before she vanished in a plume of smoke.

The sheriff glanced down in horror as she watched the mayor's body suddenly dissipate into a swirling cloud of purple magic before she disappeared.

"No! Bring her back!" Emma cried out as she looked upon her empty arms in bewilderment. "Regina…Regina!"


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Thank you again for the favs, follows, and reviews! It fills my heart with such joy that you guys enjoy reading this :) A little heads up: I published the first few chapters of this story pretty quickly because they were in final draft form but the following chapters are going to become more spread out. I promise you they'll be put up and I never start a story that won't be finished, but just bear with me because this is a longer story than I had anticipated.**

**Happy reading :)**

* * *

The golden-haired woman remained slumped on the ground as tears ran unfettered down her cheeks. Regina was gone; taken by her bitch of a mother and Emma was left all alone in a foreign land to fend for herself and find a way to get them home.

But first she needed to find Regina and figure out how to break the sleeping curse.

"Henry," Emma realized as the solution but he wasn't in the Enchanted Forest and his love for his mother was questionable at the moment. Regina told her about her stable boy Daniel but with him dead, no true love's kiss could wake her up.

"This fucking sucks!" the sheriff raged as she got to her feet. She needed Gold.

She thought about trying to magically teleport herself to Regina's castle but it was too risky so she aimed for something simpler. Taking a deep breath, she pictured a horse in her mind and threw out her hands. Nothing happened and she scoffed in frustration.

"Really? I need a goddamn horse!" she snapped and a puff of golden-white smoke appeared in front of her and unveiled a white stallion, saddled and ready to go. "Nice. Now let's see how well you obey."

Emma jumped into the saddle like an old pro, thankful for having a foster family that owned a horse farm when she was thirteen. Pulling out the compass, she murmured, "I need to find Regina's castle."

The dial sprang to life and started wildly spinning before it stopped and pointed northwest. With a tap of her heels, she willed the horse into a gallop and allowed the compass to guide her to her destination.

* * *

It took her two days to reach the imposing dark palace on the hillside and she hoped Regina was faring well in her mother's possession. She didn't want to think that Cora had done anything horrendous while her daughter slept but she couldn't help but worry.

When she reached the heavily-framed mirror, she realized it was the combination of both her and Regina's magic that had enacted the connection before and grimaced.

"Stupid Emma, so stupid," she huffed to herself before she timidly reached out and touched the cold frame. "Show me Storybrooke. I need to speak to Mr. Gold."

The mirror remained still, showing nothing except her own reflection but she refused to give up. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes as she thought hard about why she was doing this and who she was doing this for and suddenly the mayor and her son drifted through her mind. She started to feel a tingling sensation run along her arm and into her hand that was connected to the mirror. She focused on Gold's pawn shop and kept the image in her head until she heard a soft gasp from close by.

"Emma? Is that really you?"

She didn't need to open her eyes to know who that voice belonged to, a voice she was very familiar with.

She offered a soft smile as she gazed upon the woman who gave birth to her, a fact that she really hadn't had time to comprehend. "Hey Mary Margaret."

"Oh, it's so good to see you," Snow cooed as tears sprang to her eyes.

Emma shifted uncomfortably at the sudden emotion displayed by the other woman. "What are you doing at Gold's shop?"

"He informed us that you two made contact with him so we decided to take shifts watching the mirror just in case you made contact again," the pixie-haired brunette summed up before she raised an eyebrow. "Speaking of which, where is Regina?"

"Her mother took her from me," Emma muttered without noticing Mary Margaret's reaction to her possessiveness.

"What happened?"

"We climbed a beanstalk to get an enchanted compass from the giant who lived up there but on our way back there was this thorn and Regina fell asleep and Cora appeared and I pissed her off because I used magic on her and then she just disappeared with Regina and I have to get her back and find a way to wake her up from the sleeping curse but I don't know how to do that and I'm just so tired and lost and I just want to go home," the savior fired out rapidly in one breath.

Snow was flabbergasted for a minute as she tried to process everything Emma said before she straightened up and looked lovingly at her daughter. "It'll all work out Emma, you have to believe in that. Gold had informed us that you had magic which explains why the hat worked when you grabbed Regina's arm. Wait, did you say Regina is in a _sleeping curse_?"

Emma mutely nodded.

"Oh," the brunette whispered. "That might be a problem."

"You're telling me," the sheriff scoffed. "Kinda hard to wake her up when Daniel is dead and Henry is over there."

"How do you know about Daniel?" Mary Margaret probed.

"She told me her story while we climbed the beanstalk," Emma answered nonchalantly. "It was a long climb."

"Interesting," Snow mumbled darkly before she flashed a grin. "Let me go get Mr. Gold. Can you keep the connection for a few minutes?"

Emma looked to her hand like it would answer her before she shrugged. "I guess so."

The brunette disappeared for a moment before Gold appeared in Mary Margaret's place.

"Ah, Sheriff, I see you figured out how to make your magic work."

"Actually, I have no idea how the hell I did this or any other time I've used it," Emma confessed.

"Through emotions dearie," Gold quipped with a smirk. "Love, anger, hate…whatever gets your jollies off to control your magic."

"That explains why I'm always at the point of being pissed off before my magic works," the sheriff responded before she looked to the mirror. "Except this time; this was the first time I thought of...well, I thought of people I cared about, I guess."

"Now you're getting to the core of your magic," Gold replied without further explanation. "So tell me Ms. Swan, how can I be of assistance?"

Emma quickly explained everything to him and he listened carefully before his face lit up with a grin.

"You need to go to the my cell located deep within the dwarf caves. In there you will find a scroll that has a special ink on it. This ink has the ability to freeze someone when they try to use magic. You can use it to capture Cora," Rumple explained.

"How do you know it'll work?"

"Why it's the very ink your parents used to trap me, of course; but you'll need to get it in Cora's possession in order for it to work. Just blow the words off the scroll when you figure out what item you wish to use it on," Rumple instructed.

"Sounds easy enough. Thanks Gold and uh…tell my parents and Henry that we'll be home soon."

"Will do," he said before Emma pulled her hand away and broke the link.

* * *

Using the compass, Emma found the dwarf caves easily and the makeshift enchanted cell that Gold had mentioned. The scroll wasn't difficult to find either but what was written on it freaked her out a little.

"What the hell?" the sheriff spurted out as she saw her first name printed in elegant writing all over the page. "That shady little bastard."

For reasons unknown, the fair-haired woman had a feeling that everything that had happened was because Gold wanted it to; including the curse. He played them all like little puppets on strings and it irked her to no end.

Stuffing the scroll in her pocket, she thought of Regina as she held the compass out. The thought that Regina was just as much of a pawn in Gold's scheme as herself made Emma see the hardened mayor in a whole new light, a light she was already starting to shine on her since she had held the brunette's darkened heart in her hands.

The compass sprang to life and Emma jumped as it whirled recklessly before stopping. With renewed focus, she ran out of the caves and jumped on her steed before she headed towards rescuing the one person who seemed to make her heart beat a little bit faster.

* * *

If Emma had worn a burgundy cape instead of her brown leather jacket, she would have been the spitting image of her father as she held the compass in one hand while the reins were wrapped in the other as she pushed her horse to gallop across the Enchanted Forest to find the slumbering queen. Her newly equipped sword that she had magically summoned after she had left the dwarf caves bounced against her leg as she traversed the damaged land. The compass directed her to the untouched portion that somehow survived the curse and towards what could only be described as a shrine to a Greek God or Goddess.

The marbled building was positioned on top of a hill that was surrounded by a meadow full of wilted flowers and yellowed grass. Emma dismounted from her horse before she carefully strolled up the few steps and past the long columns that stood guard of the main arch that led into a grand interior. The hall was exquisite and huge as her booted feet echoed loudly throughout the room while her hand remained gripped on her sword's handle. She briefly paused when she spotted a short staircase that led up to a small dais where the mayor herself was lying peacefully.

"Regina," she whispered out of habit before she strode quickly up the steps and gazed upon the slumbering woman.

A single red rose was placed in her hands upon her chest and Emma took note that her renaissance clothing had been changed into a pale blue gown. The brunette's hair was also longer somehow with two intricate braids along her temples before the tendrils settled softly around her shoulders and down her chest. She was breathtaking and the savior felt the irony of the situation as she thought to herself that Regina had to be the fairest in all the land. The mayor who was so manipulative and cruel seemed like a completely different person compared to the innocent and peaceful looking woman who slept upon the cold marble slab that her mother had placed her upon. The idea that they were in fact one and the same boggled the sheriff's mind to no end.

Wrenching her eyes away from the sleeping beauty, she looked around cautiously. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and she knew she was being watched.

"Show yourself!" Emma shouted out as she unsheathed her sword.

Laughter tinkled in the air before Cora appeared on the other side of Regina. Emma spun around and pointed her sword but the older woman paid no mind to her as she softly combed her fingers through her daughter's long dark curls.

"I always liked her better with longer hair," she murmured as if they were sitting around a table having social hour. "And this gown; it's the very one I placed her in when King Leopold came to our house and proposed. It was the only time she made me proud enough to call her my daughter."

"She deserved so much better than you," Emma growled.

"Everything I did was for her," the older woman countered.

"Bull shit! Everything you did to her was for your own selfish reasons! You ruined her and turned her into a monster when she should've been living her happily ever after with her true love, Daniel!"

Cora burst out laughing as she rounded on Emma. "You think that pathetic stable boy was her _true love_? How sadly mistaken you are. He was nothing more than a pretty bauble dangled before her face until I killed him. She needed to learn that he was a nuisance to her future and unworthy of her affection."

"You're a fuckin psychopath," Emma sneered before she took a deep breath to calm her rage. "Look, I wanna make a deal with you before I do something that I'll regret."

"Oh?" Cora responded as her eyes lit up. "What did you have in mind, dear?"

The sheriff returned her sword to its scabbard before she pulled out the enchanted compass. "I will give you this in exchange for Regina and her cure."

"That is all you ask of me? Possession of my daughter and her cure?" Cora cackled. "I believe we have a deal."

"First you tell me how to cure her," Emma demanded as she held the compass out of reach.

"Why true love's kiss of course," the older woman replied before she held her hand out. "Now if you will kindly hand over the compass."

"Not so fast," the younger woman countered. "I know true love's kiss is the cure but thanks to you, Regina's true love is dead and our son isn't here to help. Tell me how I can wake her up without true love's kiss?"

"You can't." Cora smiled ruefully as she brushed a hand down the mayor's dress to fix invisible wrinkles. "My daughter's true love still lives and breathes as we speak. If you were _listening_, you would've caught on to the simple fact that I have stated that Daniel was _not_ in fact her true love."

Emma wrinkled her forehead in confusion. "I don't understand. I thought you fairytale people could only have one true love?"

"Silly child, we can love a lot of people but true love is rare."

"If you say so," the sheriff scoffed. "Because I have about twenty true love couples back home that will disprove it's rarity. Why would she think Daniel was her true love if he wasn't?"

"Regina holds a grudge for her fallen stable boy and she doesn't even realize that it was all a mirage," Cora murmured as she stroked her daughter's cheek. "A little infatuation spell and Daniel was head over heels for my girl, enough to fool anyone into believing it was true love."

"You _tricked_ her?" Emma responded in disgust.

"She needed to feel that love in order to understand that she could never have it again. She needed to learn an important lesson and by crushing her lover's heart right before her very tear-streaked eyes, she understood what I had been teaching her all along; love is weakness. It's the very reason I removed my own heart from my chest."

The savior's fists clenched tightly by her sides as she tried to keep from strangling the older woman across from her. Everything about Regina's life clicked into place in that very moment and the sheriff felt a pang of guilt for treating the mayor with anything but kindness, regardless of anything the mayor herself had done.

"Here; take it and leave," Emma snapped as she tossed the compass over to the older woman. "Just go before I wipe the floor with your face."

"Foolish lovesick girl; I hope my daughter is worthy of you. After all, you just traded her life for your son's and everybody else's lives in your precious Storybrooke. Enjoy this realm, Your Highness."

Cora got in one last laugh before she vanished and Emma released a frustrated scream as she suddenly lashed out, punching the nearest surface which unfortunately for her, happened to be solid marble. She howled in pain as she felt the bones crunch in her hand upon impact.

"Son of a mother fucking bitch! Argh! I'm gonna kill that sadistic whore!" Emma cursed as her voice echoed throughout the barren hall. Turning back to the slumbering mayor, she sighed heavily as her posture slouched in defeat. "I'm sorry Regina; I know you hate it when I curse."

The savior could only hope that she made the right move as she looked upon the brunette's still form. Every single moment she had with Regina came back to her and she saw the bitchy mayor for what she really was and how every cruel detail that Cora and Rumplestiltskin did had shaped her to become the crazed, bitter, and manipulative person she was when Emma had first met her.

"You never even had a chance. What happened to you would've caused even the strongest of people to finally collapse. You weren't born evil, you were made evil and my mother was the scapegoat for you to focus all that darkness in your heart upon," Emma realized as she hesitantly reached out towards Regina's hair. It was as silky to the touch as it looked and the savior relished the feel of the ebony locks gliding through her fingertips. "I had a shitty childhood too though not as bad as yours, especially considering your mom couldn't love you because she was literally a heartless bitch. Although some of my foster parent's seemed to be quite heartless too but that's a different story. I also thought I found true love once like you thought you did with Daniel, but the only thing he left me with was a broken heart, a prison record, and a baby. Our son was the best thing to come from that asshole though. Funny, we have a lot more in common than I thought we did," Emma realized before she reached over and placed her hand on top of Regina's folded ones.

And suddenly, just as it had happened when she believed in magic and touched Henry's book, images flashed through her mind of conversations she's held with Cora and Regina since they arrived in the Enchanted Forest.

_You think that pathetic stable boy was her true love? How sadly mistaken you are…I know true love's kiss is the cure but Regina's true love is dead…My daughter's true love still lives and breathes as we speak…Foolish lovesick girl, I hope my daughter is worthy of you_…_Is that any way to speak to your Mother-in-law?...My mother never says anything she doesn't mean. She is very cunning and everything is a riddle, a clue, a hidden meaning with her…He is no longer just my son, he hasn't been for a while now. He has indeed become…our son. _

"Oh God," Emma muttered as she quickly stumbled away from Regina's sleeping form. "No, it can't be true…this has to be some kind of joke or misunderstanding."

She ran a nervous hand through her golden mane as she realized the implications of what she had just witnessed. She almost expected Regina to jump up and laugh at her, telling her she's gullible for thinking she could ever love her.

"Love?! Jesus Christ Emma, get a grip!" She argued with herself.

She chewed on her bottom lip as she gazed upon the sleeping woman. She really was stunning and it wouldn't be the first time Emma had feelings for a woman. Of course the previous women she was involved with were just for creature comforts, not love.

"Damn it Swan, there's that word again," She chastised before she released a heavy groan. Lyrics from one of Pink's song floated through her mind and before she could stop herself, she started to croon out the words. _"Funny how the heart can be deceiving, more than just a couple times. Why do we fall in love so easy? Even when it's not right." _

She hesitantly stepped forward and placed her hands against the marble on either side of Regina's shoulders for support. Mindful of her broken hand, the sheriff leaned down until her lips rested beside the other woman's ear and she started to speak softly. "If you can hear me, I need you to let all of your walls down and just feel because if I'm right, you're feeling exactly what I'm feeling and it's strong and controlling and scary but it needs to be let loose in order for this to work," Emma explained. "Love me Regina…what have you got to lose?"

The blonde reclined back a little in order to take in the mayor's face. "The moment I returned your heart to your chest I knew; I knew you were the one even though it makes no sense but I guess the heart wants what the heart wants."

Emma licked her lips nervously before she leaned in closer. "Here goes nothing," she whispered before she pressed a gentle kiss against the slumbering woman's mouth.

* * *

**To be continued...*insert evil laugh***


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Hello everyone! This is a short chapter but it gives you what you been waiting for so I hope it's enough to keep you happy until I can get the next one posted. Love the reviews, favs, and follows! Keep them coming :)**

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_Emma licked her lips nervously before she leaned in closer. "Here goes nothing," she whispered before she pressed a gentle kiss against the slumbering woman's mouth._

The savior felt a sudden rush of emotions and she relished the feel of the foreign sensations that coursed through her body until a magical shock wave burst out from their connected lips. Emma sprung back in surprise as she witnessed Regina's eyes fly open while she sucked in a lungful of air. The red rose her mother stuck in her hands went flying to the ground as she brought them up to grab the collar of Emma's jacket.

"You did it," Regina rasped out as chocolate orbs stared into the depths of emerald pools.

"Actually we did it," Emma corrected before she leaned back down to capture the brunette's lips once more.

Slender fingers tangled into her golden locks and the sheriff savored the taste of the woman beneath her as she returned the kiss with fervor. They broke apart breathless as their eyes locked in a heated gaze.

"Thank you Emma...for defending me against my mother," Regina murmured as she tenderly cupped the sheriff's cheek. "I did love Daniel very much, I still do even though I know his love for me wasn't true. It's something I'll have to eventually accept."

"I'm so sorry Regina," the savior responded.

"Don't be. I know what I felt when you replaced my heart and the implications it carried with it, but I was trying my best to deny it…until now; my walls are down, _Miss Swan_," Regina purred in a velvety voice.

"Wait, you mean to tell me you heard _everything_ while you were asleep? And you felt something for me this entire time and didn't say anything?!"

"Yes and yes," the mayor answered honestly. "By the way, I didn't know you could carry a tune. I do hope you'll sing that song in it's entirety to me one day."

"Oh God," Emma muttered in embarrassment as she dropped her head to Regina's shoulder.

The blonde felt the vibration of the older woman's chuckle. "It was nice to know that you were also capable of apologizing for your crude language even though I couldn't respond. Apparently my lectures do get through that thick skull of yours."

"Oh God," she repeated.

"Honestly Emma," Regina exasperated before she forced the sheriff to face her. "If I wasn't able to hear anything, I wouldn't have known the truth about Daniel or my mother and I would've never allowed myself the permission to feel for you what I've been denying all along. You pleaded with me to lower my walls and because I listened, I am now awake and I have you to thank for that."

"Well when you put it that way," Emma responded before she placed a chaste kiss to the brunette's mouth. "All I want to do right now is whisk you away and ride into the sunset like some cheesy romance movie from the eighties. I never thought a simple kiss could break all barriers and allow your heart's truest desires to shine through."

"I'm impressed Emma; that was almost poetic," the mayor teased before she turned serious. "Of all people…but I cannot deny what I feel for you, not anymore."

The savior smiled. "I understand and believe me, you're not the only one that has to come to terms with it," Emma admitted before she stood up. "Come on, let's get you changed and we'll track your mother down."

With the sheriff's help, Regina slowly sat up before she looked down at the dress she was wearing for the first time. A growl emanated from her as she grabbed fistfuls of the blue material. "I'm going to kill her."

"Not before I do," Emma countered with a smirk before she reached out and twisted an ebony curl around her finger. "Hey, I don't suppose you would consider keeping your hair this length? I think it's pretty."

Regina genuinely laughed which caused the sheriff to grin like a fool.

"You should laugh more often. I like the way it sounds to my ears," Emma boldly declared.

The mayor actually blushed before she reached for Emma's injured hand by mistake, causing the younger woman to cry out in pain. Regina saw the purple-hued appendage and sighed. "There was no need to damage yourself, Miss...Emma, although I am well aware that my mother tends to bring that sort of reaction out."

Keeping contact with the sheriff, Regina wordlessly healed the savior's hand and smiled at her work before she interlaced their fingers. Purple smoke curled around the shorter woman as she magically transitioned her clothes back to the attire she had been wearing before her mother put her in that awful gown. The only difference was she honored Emma's request and kept her hair long, magically French-braiding it along both sides of her head before joining a single braid down her back. She turned her attention to Emma when she heard her audibly groan.

"It was bad enough the first time I saw you wear this but now with the true love connection thing going on and the hair…you're making it very difficult for me to be near you right now, Madame Mayor," the sheriff confessed in a husky tone. "If you only knew the thoughts I'm having right now that involve us and a soft surface."

The younger woman observed Regina's eyes turned black with desire, a look she had seen before but not as open and unguarded. Emma was suddenly very aware of the sexual prowess the mayor naturally oozed as dark hooded eyes leered openly at her while she invaded the sheriff's personal space. Without warning, the older woman reached up and yanked the savior's head down for a passionate kiss. Fingers knotted in golden hair as Emma slid her arms around the mayor's waist before she pulled the brunette flush against her taller frame. Regina's tongue grazed the sheriff's teeth in a request for entry and Emma obediently parted her lips to allow the intrusion. The brunette audibly moaned, which caused a shock of liquid hunger to shoot straight down the savior's spine. Thoughts of where they were and what they had to do unexpectedly invaded the sheriff's mind and she reluctantly broke the kiss before she rested her forehead against Regina's, their breaths mingling together as they tried to slow their hammering hearts.

"Christ Regina," Emma blurted out. "You're gonna be the death of me."

"Oh I sure hope not, dear. I have plans for you, my _white knight_," Regina declared.

"White knight huh?" the sheriff responded. "Much better than princess."

The two women stayed locked in each other's arms as if letting go was too painful. They remained that way for a few moments, lost in their own thoughts until Emma dramatically sighed.

"Damn it," the savior muttered. "I messed up, Regina."

"How so?"

"I gave your mother the compass but I didn't think of how to track her down afterwards. I been using the compass as my personal GPS in this world but now…tell me you know a way we can find her cause she should be frozen solid right about now."

Regina's eyes lit up as she smiled. "You got a hold of squid ink. Very impressive, Emma."

"How did you know what I used?"

"It was used to capture Rumplestiltskin," she explained. "It's the only thing that could overthrow powerful magic. How did you come across it?"

"I went back to your castle and contacted Gold and he told me where I could find some. Before I arrived here, I used it on the compass knowing that it was the only object Cora wanted. It was a given she'd use magic while in possession of it."

Regina suddenly kissed the surprised sheriff. "Where have you been hiding all your wisdom this past year?"

"I was full of wisdom until I realized we can't track her down."

"Yes we can," the mayor countered. "But we must return to my castle first."

The blonde felt Regina's lips suddenly descend upon her own before their bodies dissipated into the air only to reappear in the dark palace. The ebony-haired woman drew back with a grin and Emma took in her surroundings with amazement.

"Wasn't so bad puffing out this time," she confessed with a smirk.

"Hmm, I wonder why that was," the brunette mused as she leaned in closer.

"Oh no; none of that Madame Mayor," Emma scolded as she held Regina at arm's length. "You're too goddamn tempting for your own good. How did I never see this before and jump on that train a long time ago?"

The older woman frowned as she turned her back to the savior. "You're right Emma, I apologize. I don't know what came over me."

Strong arms encircled the mayor's waist from behind and the brunette allowed her body to be drawn back against the taller woman. "It's okay Regina, you didn't do anything wrong. We just have a lot to do and a son to get back to but I get it; it's hard to focus when all you want to do is explore the happiness you're feeling right now, a feeling that you've been denied all your life. Trust me, I understand that more than anybody."

The mayor blinked back the moisture in her eyes before she patted the arms around her waist. "Let's find Cora and finish this."

Emma allowed the subject change as she followed the brunette over to a mirror on the wall. They wordlessly clasped their hands together before Regina reached out and touched the frame. The looking glass came to life as images of Fairy Tale Land whirred through the surface from a bird's eye view. As the two women observed the colorful landscape rapidly flash by, they both realized exactly what they were perceiving.

"Regina, are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Emma questioned as she gawked at the passing images in shock.

"Indeed I am," the mayor responded. "Everything has been restored."

The land was lush and green as castles and buildings were fixed and standing tall as if no dark curse had ever crossed their path. Everything was back to the way it originally was, minus the missing people who were all still stuck in Storybrooke.

"It wasn't like this when I went searching for you, except for that piece of land that was somehow untouched by the curse which I really think was Cora's doing but that's besides the point...how the hell did this happen?" Emma muttered as she continued to stare at the mirror.

"We did this," Regina whispered in realization. "When you woke me up, our true love's kiss did this."

Emma's jaw went slack. "Are you shitting me right now?!"

The mayor narrowed her eyes at Emma for her tactless word before she softened her expression. "When true love's kiss is used as a cure, it is a very powerful thing. You saw what happened when you kissed Henry."

"Everyone got their memories back," the blonde responded. "What happened when my parents broke the sleeping curse?"

"They changed the seasons from winter to spring," Regina answered before she saw the mirror halt and focus on the woman they were searching for. "There she is...and it looks like she hasn't used the compass yet."

"Let's get this over with," Emma growled.


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Sorry for the wait guys...here's the next chapter! Lovin the favs, follows, and reviews!  
**

**Happy reading :)**

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Regina and Emma appeared some distance behind Cora in a barren lake bed and the mayor immediately brought her finger up to her lips in a gesture for Emma to keep quiet.

"Where are we?" the sheriff whispered close to the brunette's ear.

"This was once Lake Nostos. The waters of the lake were said to restore that with which once was lost," Regina explained under her breath as she gazed upon her mother. "She's planning to use it to get to Storybrooke."

"But wouldn't there have to be water in order for it to work?" Emma questioned in her normal tone and she mentally slapped herself as she realized she forgot to whisper.

Cora whipped around upon hearing her voice and smiled ruefully. "Hello Emma and Regina," she greeted before she glared at the mayor. "I see your precious knight in shining leather woke you up, my darling daughter," the older woman quipped as Regina cautiously approached her. The younger brunette took note that the compass was clutched in one hand while a glass bottle with a glowing substance was clutched in the other.

The mayor paused in her approach when a thought dawned on her. "You knew, didn't you? You knew the moment you held my beating heart in your hands that she was my true love and you planned to use it against me."

"Of course, dear. You know as well as I do that the heart tells all although, I must admit I was quite surprised at the length of time it took for you two to act upon it considering you should've felt something for each the other the moment that you met. I suppose with a heart as tainted as yours, it was difficult to admit to such weakness."

Emma saw the impact of Cora's words upon her daughter and quickly stepped between them. "You don't know anything about her heart."

The older witch cackled. "Such bravery yet so ignorant. True love or not, my daughter will never allow herself to have her _happy ending_ because she knows it will bring her nothing but misery and despair. Magic is power and with that power comes the freedom to do as you please. Besides dear, you saw how black her heart was. Do you really think your love could take that away? It's only a matter of time before her darkness corrupts you."

Emma thrashed out in anger, her sword pulled from the sheath in the blink of an eye before she swung it towards Cora in a wide arc. The older woman dropped the compass and bottle in surprise before she recovered, throwing her hands out at the fair-haired sheriff. Emma flew backwards a few feet before landing on her back.

"Mother!" Regina shouted out as Cora raised a fireball to hit the fallen woman. The mayor managed to deflect the blow and Cora growled in frustration before she focused her energy on her daughter.

"Damn it," Emma mumbled as she got to her feet and watched the two women quarrel with magic as they danced around the fallen compass; she could've smacked herself on the forehead for making Cora drop it.

"You will never defeat me," the older woman snapped as she watched her daughter tire. "You barely have your magic under control and it's all because your heart has been corrupted by true love. Best to rip it out while you still can."

It didn't take long for the older queen to find an opening and she took it, slamming Regina to the ground before raising her up off her feet. Emma watched in horror as the younger brunette dangled in the air above Cora, unable to fight off the strong magic that held her in place.

"Such an ungrateful child; everything I gave you and you threw it all back in my face. You were the worst mistake I ever made and now," Cora continued as she reared back her arm and drew Regina magically closer. "I'm going to do what I should've done a long time ago."

Time seemed to slow down as the savior ran towards the two women. A feral scream tore from her throat as she watched the older woman's hand start to descend towards Regina's chest and she dove in between them just as Cora's hand made contact. Suddenly everything sped up and the savior gasped in shock as she looked down at the hand buried deep within her chest cavity.

"Emma! No!" Regina cried out from behind her as she dropped heavily to the ground.

"Foolish girl, what did you expect to accomplish?" Cora laughed as she squeezed her fingers around the savior's heart, causing Emma to gasp out. "I'm afraid history must repeat itself, except this time I will be killing my daughter's real true love and with your death, she will feel the pain of it in her own heart as a part of her dies with you. And you know why that is? Because Love. Is. Weakness."

The older witch yanked on Emma's heart with each punctuated word but her hand didn't budge. She tried again and again but she still couldn't remove it from the blonde's chest. The younger woman grinned as she realized her heart wasn't going anywhere.

Locking eyes with the woman before her she sneered, "Stupid bitch; love isn't weakness…its strength."

A bolt of golden-white magic shot out from Emma's chest, sending Cora flying backwards before she landed in a crumpled heap some distance away. The blonde looked upon the fallen woman in shock until slender arms spun her around and she watched as tears pooled in the mayor's eyes.

"You're okay," Regina praised as she rubbed the palm of her hand lovingly on Emma's chest just above her heart.

"I'm not quite sure what the hell I just did," the sheriff admitted before she took Regina's hand into her own. "But on the bright side, your mother can never take your lover's heart again."

The mayor's lower lip trembled at Emma's words before she threw her arms around the taller woman and cried. The blonde buried her face against the smaller woman's neck as she returned the embrace with fervor, letting the brunette release the tears that she had held in for so long.

"I got you Regina and I'm never letting you go," Emma murmured as the mayor sobbed harder.

Neither of the women noticed that Cora had gotten back up and had quietly spun her hand in a circle, causing the waters of Lake Nostos to appear in a circular pool. She quickly bent down and snatched up the bottle and compass before she stepped back and laughed. Both women turned and glared at the older witch.

"You think you got the upper hand but I hold the key to your return," Cora snubbed as she held up the two items. "I may have failed with you Regina, but your son may prove to be a better apprentice."

The mayor moved to go after her mother but Emma held her back. She silently told Regina through her gaze to trust her and the brunette relinquished control.

"Look how loyal you are to your savior; like a trained puppy," Cora mused as she watched the two women interact. "Had you behaved as such with me I wouldn't have had to use the leather strap as often."

"You fucking bitch!" Emma roared but she made no move to attack.

"You have the linguistics of a filthy pirate!" Cora chastised before she popped the bottle top and released the ashes from within. They drifted down into the water which caused it to churn rapidly as it created a magical whirlpool.

"The wardrobe ashes," Regina murmured as she realized what the bottle had contained.

Emma interlaced her fingers through the mayor's and smiled. "Follow my lead," she whispered before she faced the older woman. "You're not going anywhere!"

The women stalked with purpose towards Cora and the older witch scoffed as she rolled her eyes. "Please child, I have no time for your silly antics," she chastised before she threw her hand out towards them. The minute she tried to unleash her magic, the compass illuminated with a bright blue hue before it spread over her entire body. "What have you done?!" the queen of hearts shouted as she found herself frozen in place.

"You thought you could just threaten our son and we'd let you go? You just messed with the wrong parents," Emma lectured.

"I know just the place for you too," Regina added before she squeezed Emma's hand. "Goodbye Mother."

"No!" Cora cried out as she vanished in a plume of purple smoke.

"Where did you send her?" Emma questioned.

"Rumplestiltskin's prison cell," the brunette replied. "She'll never be able to escape."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. The cell was enchanted with magic."

"She has the compass," Emma suddenly remembered. "She can't use it, can she?"

"Not unless she wants to be immobilized again. The compass is now useless."

The sheriff looked over at the swirling pool of water and sighed. "Without the compass, we can't jump in there and go home."

Regina shook her head. "No, but I think I have another way."

"I thought there was no other way."

"The giant had a dried up magic bean. If these waters can restore what is lost, then they should be able to restore that bean," Regina explained.

"And if they restore the bean we can use it to get back home," Emma realized as she caught on to Regina's idea. "I like the way you think."

"Are you sure you don't like me for other reasons?" Regina purred before she laced her arms around the blonde woman's neck.

"I like you for a lot of reasons, which I plan to show you some time," the sheriff replied in a husky tone.

"You know, my mother is locked away and there is no threat to us or Storybrooke at the moment. How about we take a much needed rest before we continue on our quest for the magic bean?" Regina offered as she gazed up into jaded orbs.

"Sounds good to me," Emma agreed before she lowered her head and captured the shorter woman's lips with her own. Suddenly she felt softness beneath her and her eyes popped back open as she gently broke the kiss. Looking around, she realized they were back at Regina's palace in an elaborate bedchamber while she was pinned beneath the mayor in a king-sized four post bed.

"Regina," Emma warned softly as she watched the fireplace that was situated across the room suddenly roar to life. She could feel the cool touch of the silky sheets beneath her that contradicted with the heat radiating from the woman above her. "I thought we were going to rest?"

"We will…afterwards," the brunette promised as she peppered soft kisses along Emma's face and neck. "Unless you want me to stop…"

"I don't, but…," the savior trailed off as her eyes fluttered closed when Regina kissed a particularly sensitive spot near her ear. "But…I just want you to be sure because once we go down this road there's no turning back."

The mayor grabbed the younger woman's face and locked eyes with her. "I'm sure, Emma."

The sheriff took in Regina's swollen lips and darkened eyes before she grabbed the older woman and flipped them over. A gasp escaped the mayor's throat before Emma's lips descended upon her, kissing her along her jawline and down her neck as she felt the savior unlacing her vest and untucking her shirt. Nimble fingers slid underneath her thin white blouse, nails lightly scratching olive-toned skin as she bunched up the material in her hands and tugged. Regina sat up enough to allow the garments to be pulled off before she felt a tongue graze her heated skin just below her breasts. A low moan slipped from the mayor's parted lips and she could feel the sheriff smile in response against her stomach.

"I plan to show you just how cherished you are, my queen," Emma murmured as she ducked her head and continued to explore her lover's body.

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Regina's eyes flickered open and for a moment she was disoriented by her surroundings until she remembered she was in her castle's bedchamber with her true love sleeping beside her. Memories of their recent activities had the mayor blushing like an adolescent girl as a bright smile lit up her face. Lovers had come and gone in Regina's life but none of them, aside from Daniel, meant anything...until now. She finally understood why Snow and David were so determined to be together.

An added surprise was the interesting twist of magic when making love. As far as the mayor was aware, they are the first set of true lovers to both possess magical properties and she had a feeling that they were going to have to learn as they go both as lovers and as witches. One slip of control during a heated moment could cause an unexpected magical incident to occur and neither one of them could afford that. It seemed like they only created a magical storm cloud above them during their recent activities and nothing more; at least nothing that she was aware of anyway.

The naked woman beside her stretched in her sleep before settling down again and Regina took the opportunity to admire the sheriff's lithe frame. She couldn't believe how infuriating this woman once was to her and now she couldn't imagine going a full day without being in her presence. Her dark heart felt lighter somehow and if she had to hazard a guess, she would think it would resemble more of a murky grey than the blackened charcoal hue it once was when Emma had returned it to her chest.

She tenderly reached out and twirled an errant blonde curl around her finger before letting it fall off one ring at time. From there she moved on to tracing light patterns across Emma's bare arm until her daring fingers burned a trail over broad shoulders and down the valley between her breasts. She felt the blonde's stomach muscles twitch underneath her fingertips as she continued trailing further down.

"You're supposed to be resting," the blonde reprimanded before she cracked an eye open and peeked at Regina. "Not boring holes into my body with your hungry eyes while your devious little fingers tease me."

"I can't help myself; you are quite exquisite in your sleep," the mayor replied in a low voice.

Emma reached out and pulled the brunette on top of her before she tucked a errant lock of hair behind Regina's ear. "This is crazy, you know that right?"

The older woman nodded as she gazed upon the savior's face.

"Absolutely crazy yet I never felt so…," Emma trailed off as she tried to think of the right word.

"Complete," Regina answered for her.

"Yes, I've never felt so complete," the sheriff agreed before she pulled the mayor's head down for a passionate kiss. When they broke apart, Emma noted how dilated her partner's eyes had turned and she could feel the static of their magic crackling in the air around them.

"As much as I want to stay here with you in this bed for the rest of eternity, we should probably get going," Emma suggested. "We have a son to get back to."

"And parents who are going to burn me at the stake when they discover I deflowered their precious daughter," Regina teased.

The blonde snorted as she playfully slapped the mayor's arm. "Don't say it like that. Besides, I've been _deflowered_ long before you came along."

"Hmm yes but I am your true love and your parent's worst nightmare. I assure you Emma, their scornful glares will only focus on me and not your past lovers," Regina pointed out.

"Of all people, they should understand that true love can't be messed with. It's out of our control," Emma countered.

The older woman pecked the blonde's lips before she sat up. "We'll see about that."

"What's that supposed to mean?" the sheriff retorted.

"It means it won't matter. I hurt a lot of people and regardless of my pledge for redemption that I plan to offer upon our return, I will have to answer for my crimes," Regina indicated as she quickly got dressed.

The sheriff jumped to her feet and grabbed the older woman by her upper arms. "No one will ever lay a finger on you. I don't give a shit what you did in your past. You were wronged for so many years and now it's time for you to have a shot at happiness. If the people want someone to blame or to take their blood lust out on, they can go to Cora or even Mr. Gold and lay it on their heads because they were the ones who created the evil queen who, in my opinion, no longer exists. You are not the same person you were twenty eight years ago. Hell, you're not even the same person I met over a year ago."

Regina gave a watery smile. "Thank you Emma."

"For what?"

"For showing me there is a beacon of hope in all my darkness and that I am not alone," the brunette admitted before she wrapped her arms around the sheriff's waist and kissed her.

"I think I'm in love you," Emma confessed with a shy grin when they pulled apart.

The mayor quirked an eyebrow. "You think?"

"I didn't mean to say I think I am, I know I am but...is it too weird or too soon to be saying the L word?" Emma stuttered out.

"A long time ago, I told your mother that true love is the most powerful magic of all," Regina explained. "At that time they were merely words from a daydreaming girl who thought she understood the concept of love. Today I know them as simply the truth for I have been bewitched by a beautiful savior who has exposed my heart to love in it's purest form. So to answer your question, no, it is not too soon for the L word. I just hope you understand that it may be some time before I allow the confession myself."

Their eyes locked for a few seconds as Emma tried to absorb the powerful words that Regina had just tossed at her. She knew she should respond but her mouth wasn't cooperating. Love was not something either of them could take lightly. A sigh managed to escape the tongue-twisted blonde before she stepped back and offered a half smile. "We should go. The beanstalk is going to kick our ass again and we're losing sunlight."

The brunette allowed the subject change before she withdrew from the blonde. She suddenly giggled in a very un-Regina like manner when she saw Emma approach the door as if to leave. "You might want to put on some clothes first. I don't think Anton wants to see an anatomically correct Barbie doll."

The sheriff looked down at her naked body and blushed as the mayor laughed even harder. Scowling playfully at Regina, she couldn't help but notice how light and innocent her chestnut orbs seemed to be at the moment; like the weight of the world was lifted from her shoulders. Greedy to continue to see this side of the older woman, Emma crouched like a panther that was ready to pounce and narrowed her eyes in a mock glare.

"You dare to laugh at me?" the savior accused as she took a menacing step forward.

The brunette's eyes widened as she watched her lover stalk towards her and she found herself backing up as Emma continued to pursue her.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," the mayor mused as she fought to keep the smirk from her face. "I don't laugh."

Emma paused as she arched an eyebrow. "Oh really? I'm pretty it was laughter I heard coming from you, more specifically a giggle."

"I would never giggle, _Miss Swan_," Regina noted in a deeper tone, enjoying the way her lowered voice made the sheriff's eyes darken.

"That was definitely a giggle I heard but if you're claiming ignorance then I'm afraid I have no choice but to make you laugh again, Madame Mayor," Emma explained.

"And how do you plan to do that?" the brunette challenged as she continued to back away from her naked prowler.

"By doing this!" the savior shouted before she lunged after a shocked queen. Just as the blonde was about to grab her, she disappeared. "No cheating!"

Regina appeared behind Emma and smacked her ass before she ran for the door. Just as she went to reach for the handle, the sheriff caught her around the waist and twirled her around. The mayor uncharacteristically shrieked as she was carried to the bed where she was unceremoniously dumped before the savior straddled her, digging her fingers into sensitive ribs which caused the older woman to howl in laughter.

"Stop! Emma please!" Regina cried out as she tried to fight off the suddenly stronger blonde. "Parlay! Parlay!"

The sheriff stopped and cocked her head. "Really? Is that like the old world version of Uncle?"

"I don't know what that means but you have ten seconds to get off of me before I turn you into an actual swan,_ Miss Swan_," the brunette warned.

Emma chuckled. "Seriously? That's all you got?"

The mayor grinned like a Cheshire cat and the younger woman found herself questioning her lover's threat.

"Ten, nine, eight, seven…"

"All right, all right!" Emma caved before she jumped off the mayor and stood. She played on the emotions that Regina had created by threatening her and she stated with a small growl, "I want my clothes on me now."

Golden-white smoke swirled around the sheriff before her clothes appeared on her body and she smiled.

"Neat trick," Regina praised as she stood from the bed and straightened her clothes.

"If I could just do shit without yelling it out I'd be so much happier," Emma retorted. "I feel like I'm stuck in a State Farm commercial."

The brunette chuckled. "Give it time, you'll figure it out."

"Gold said magic works from emotions. Even though I managed to get the mirror to work when I was alone by thinking of you and Henry, it just seems easier to use anger in place of love."

The mayor slid her arms around the taller woman and smiled. "It takes practice. For years I've used magic based on anger, but now it's compassion. That's why I've been having such a hard time with it. Like you, I have to practice. Try it now, using love as your guidance."

"What? Are you serious?"

"Focus on your feelings for me and once you grasp that emotion, hold on to it and use it," Regina instructed. "Take us to the beanstalk."

The sheriff seemed nervous but she focused her attention on the beautiful woman before her. Her eyes briefly closed as she remembered the feel of flushed skin quivering beneath her, the smell and the taste of the aroused brunette as she loved her with unbridled passion but mostly, she recalled the sound of Regina crying out her name when she brought her over the edge and back down again.

Her body started to tingle with the familiar sensation of magic coursing through her veins and she smiled brightly as her eyes flashed opened and locked on the russet orbs in front of her.

"This is your warning," Emma teased before they were engulfed in a plume of golden-white smoke and vanished from the dark palace.


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: As always, thank you for the reviews, follows, pm's, and favorites. Like most writers, this is my outlet right now while I try to deal with some major RL issues so thank you, thank you, thank you! :) There is a little cameo from a land most want to see in the show in this if you happened to notice, I did downgrade this to a strong T because I didn't make this as violent as I thought it would be.  
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**Also, I have Tumblr (finally caved and joined this year) so if you have it too please stop by sometime (phyren-ice). **

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The quest up the beanstalk to retrieve the magic bean was thankfully quick and painless for the two ladies. Anton the giant handed it over willingly when the two lovers promised him that he would be protected from all pint-sized human beings if people were to return to the Enchanted Forest. The magical waters of Lake Nostos restored the bean and now they were stumped as to where to open the portal.

"This bean is a one-time deal, right? What about those who want to return here?" Emma questioned as she watched Regina roll the translucent bean between her fingers.

"There might be a way to use this to open a semi-permanent doorway, but we would have to use it where a portal had already been opened before."

"Like the wardrobe," Emma added. "Except the wardrobe is now a pile of ash."

"Wardrobe…," the mayor repeated before she kissed the surprised blonde soundly on her lips. "Emma, you are a genius!"

The savior was confused by the brunette's antics but she didn't have time to question it when Regina threaded their fingers together and stated, "Hang on." The sheriff squeezed her eyes shut as she prepared for her body to be teleported to another environment.

When they reappeared at their new destination, Emma immediately felt the difference in temperature and she shivered against the crisp air that nipped at her exposed skin. She blinked her eyes open and gasped in surprise as a beautiful pine forest covered in a blanket of powdered snow greeted her vision while thick snowflakes drifted lazily down from the sky. A smile lit up her face as she absorbed the serene setting and the silence that surrounded her.

"It's beautiful," Emma murmured softly.

"Yes, Narnia always was a beautiful place. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that our true love's kiss restored all of the lands that I had cursed," Regina mused as she gently tugged at the savior's hand. "Come along, dear. It should be around here somewhere."

"How is it we could go to a different land without the hat or a portal?"

"Some lands are connected and some aren't," the mayor offered. "This just happens to be the neighboring land to the Enchanted Forest so no hat or portal is needed to teleport here."

Emma nodded in understanding as she willingly followed her companion before realization sunk into her thick skull. "Wait, did you say _Narnia_?"

"Yes, dear."

"_A_h, I get it now. You're going to use the magic bean to open the Narnia wardrobe to get us home," the sheriff stated proudly before she noticed a unique landmark peeking out from behind an evergreen. "Isn't the lamppost by the wardrobe?"

Regina followed her gaze and nodded. "Yes."

"Out of curiosity old wise one, if this portal stays open and people pass through to return to Oz or Wonderland or whatever crazy ass land they come from that isn't connected to the Enchanted Forest or Narnia, how will they get there?"

"It seems to me that we would need a hatter to assist us. Think you can convince Jefferson to help?"

"Can't you ask him? He kidnapped me, remember?" the savior whined.

"And I sent him to Wonderland away from his daughter before I manipulated him in Storybrooke to retrieve a poisoned apple," Regina countered.

Emma rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'll talk to him but remember _your majesty_, this will cost you."

"Call me your majesty again and I'll give you anything you desire," Regina purred as she walked her fingers up the savior's chest.

"I think that can be arranged, my queen," Emma teased as she enveloped the mayor into her arms.

"Do what you will of me your highness for I am yours," the brunette responded in a husky voice.

"Your highness?"

"You are a princess after all," the older woman gently reminded her.

"I told you no princess crap. I prefer savior or white knight or mistress," Emma joked. "Can we go home now?"

"Yes, dear," she replied before she tossed the bean into the tall, thick evergreens that guarded the wardrobe door.

A brilliant burst of blue-green exploded from the trees before it disappeared. The brunette tugged on Emma's hand and pulled her forward, branches smacking them in the face as they walked deeper into the thicket. Within minutes they were succumbed to darkness, forcing them to feel their way through.

"Uh Regina…whose closet are we gonna fall out of?" the savior wondered as they continued to shuffle through the dark space.

"That is a question that I do not have the answer to," the brunette replied.

"Regina! What if we fall through some dorm room closet at Boston University?! We could end up outside of Storybrooke!"

"Oh relax; it'll take us to Storybrooke because that is where the magical wardrobe is located. I just don't know who possesses it," she explained. "We're getting close; I feel coats."

Sure enough, Emma's face and body was suddenly pummeled with thick fur coats. She coughed at the pungent odor of mothballs that invaded her senses and she quickened her pace to get out of the suddenly claustrophobic closet. Not realizing how fast she was approaching the other woman, she slammed into the back of the mayor. Regina stumbled as she reached out blindly for support but her hands grabbed only air before the two women toppled out of the wardrobe and to the ground with an oomph.

"You may be named swan but you surely lack the grace of one," Regina chastised as she pushed the blonde off of her.

Emma rolled to her feet before helping her fallen comrade up. "Sorry, I just couldn't take that smell anymore."

The women looked around the room that they were standing in before the sheriff went to the window and looked out. "We're on the outskirts of Main Street but there's no mistaken that rusty old town clock; we're back in Storybrooke baby!"

Regina cocked an eyebrow. "_Baby?!_"

"Sorry it was an impulsive response," she replied. "I wonder whose house this is?"

"It doesn't look familiar. Maybe something downstairs will tell us."

"No offense, but don't you wanna change back into your mayoral power suit?" Emma suggested as she pointed to Regina's old world outfit.

The brunette looked down at herself before she shrugged. "I suppose I should, but long hair will clash with my image."

"How about you change your hair to shoulder length and we'll keep your longer hair for special occasions," the sheriff bargained with a wink.

Regina chuckled before she magically changed her appearance, replacing her renaissance clothing with a fitted black dress that was adorned with a red blazer and killer knee-high boots. She noted the way Emma's eyes turned a dark jade in response and she grinned.

"Your turn," the brunette stated and before the younger woman could protest, her body was hidden by a purple cloud of magic before her hair and clothing were altered. "That's better. I was getting tired of looking at that unattractive brown jacket everyday."

The blonde noted that her hair was clipped back on the sides and her clothes were slightly feminine as she now sported an olive-colored designer leather jacket. Thankfully, her undershirt, black pants, and boots all matched her usual Storybrooke attire.

"It'll do…for now," Emma teased as she watched Regina scowl. "I'm kidding, I like it. Thanks."

The mayor's expression softened before they ventured out of the room together.

The house was quaint and comfy, reminding Emma of what she imagined a grandmother's house would look like. As they breezed through the living room to the kitchen and dining area, the younger woman paused when something caught her attention.

"I might have an idea whose residence this is," the sheriff indicated as she pointed to two hutches lining the dining room wall.

The mayor gazed upon the hundreds of tea pots of various shades and sizes that lined the shelves and chuckled.

"Mrs. Potts, I presume."

"What gave you that idea?" Emma chuckled before she anxiously pulled the older woman out of the front door behind her.

Practically skipping down the road, the two women could barely contain their excitement at being back in Storybrooke. No words needed to be exchanged as they only had one goal in mind; find Henry.

When they arrived at Main Street, the mayor and sheriff slowed their pace as people started to take notice and look in their direction. The disbelief was clearly written on the passing faces of the townspeople as they looked on with wide eyes at the two women they probably thought they would never see again.

"You'd think they saw a ghost," Emma mumbled under her breath.

The mayor wordlessly nodded in agreement before she grabbed the blonde's hand and pulled her towards the diner, ignoring the stunned looks they received in response to their joined touch.

"If Henry is keeping to his schedule, he should be here before he goes to school," Regina explained as she pulled the swinging door open.

The usual chatter of the diner fell silent as everyone gawked at the two women standing at the threshold. Emma and Regina watched on warily, preparing for the worst until one sound broke the silent awkwardness.

"Mom! Emma!" Henry shouted out before he ran towards the two women and crashed into their legs as he wrapped an arm around each of them. Moisture blurred their vision as they both knelt down to hug Henry in return which caused all three to be locked around one another.

"Emma? Is it really you?!"

The savior looked up to be greeted by the two smiling faces of her younger parents.

"Hey guys," Emma offered as she refused to budge from her current position.

"How is this even possible?" David asked in surprise.

"Long story…maybe we should take this elsewhere," the sheriff replied before nodding her head towards the crowd in the diner.

Snow looked behind her and realized they had everyone's attention. "You're right. Let's go back to our place."

The blonde flicked her gaze towards the mayor before they straightened up but kept Henry close. "Alright, but Regina and I need to speak with Henry first, alone. Is it okay if we meet you two at the apartment in about an hour?"

Snow straightened her back in slight defiance before she relented with a stiff nod. "Okay, but don't keep us waiting too long."

"We won't, promise," Emma offered.

Regina gave a forced grin to Snow and David as they stepped around her to exit the diner. Once they left, the brunette released the breath she hadn't even realized she had been holding before she gripped Henry's shoulders and looked down at him.

"It's good to be home," the mayor confessed with a sweet smile before she guided her son and the sheriff out the door and onto the street.

"I missed you guys so much! Everyone was starting to give up hope, but I knew you'd make it back," Henry informed them as the trio walked leisurely along the sidewalk. "How did you get back?"

Emma ruffled his hair and chuckled at his scowl. "We'll explain everything when we go to Mary Margaret's but your mother and I have something else that we need to discuss with you. Something important."

Henry paused and tilted his head. "What is it?"

The sheriff's eyes darted around and she licked her lips nervously. "Not here kid, too many eyes. Regina, you think we could…?"

"Of course, dear. Let's go into that alley over there," the mayor answered before she ushered them in that direction.

Once they were in the secluded backstreet, Emma held onto Henry before she grabbed Regina. "Do it before someone sees us."

The mayor quickly whisked them away in a purple cloud and brought them to the manor. Emma was thankful for no longer feeling dizzy but her concern turned to her son when she realized it was his first time.

"Kid, you alright?" Emma questioned as he blinked his eyes to adjust to his new surroundings.

"That was…awesome!" Henry cheered before he flashed a huge grin to his brunette mother. "I was afraid of what you would be like with your magic and that you might hurt people because you're the evil queen but I was wrong to think that and I'm sorry."

"Whoa! Henry, take a breather," Emma chided. "Did Mary Margaret feed you sugar for breakfast?"

Henry laughed before he shook his head. "No Ma, I'm just happy you're home."

The savior sucked in a sharp breath at Henry's new moniker for her and she couldn't help but look to her counterpart to see how she had reacted. Regina seemed surprisingly calm and she took the sheriff's hand and squeezed it to offer her silent approval.

Henry however, started to backtrack when he realized who he called mom. "I'm sorry Emma it just slipped out. Mom, please don't be mad that I called Emma mom too."

Regina reached out and cupped her son's face. "It's alright Henry."

"Really?" he questioned in disbelief.

The mayor nodded. "I have come to accept that I am no longer your only parent. Emma and I are both your mothers and you are our son. I'm sure Emma would be honored to be called mom by you. Isn't that right, Emma?"

The sheriff snapped out of her daze and smiled. "Yes, yes of course. You just took me by surprise, that's all."

Henry looked between the two docile women and their still clasped hands before his eyes flashed accusingly. "Something's different between you two."

Emma followed his gaze and realized she was still holding hands with Regina. She quickly let go as if it was burnt by scalding hot water before she started to run her fingers through her long tangled locks. Regina just rolled her eyes at the savior's reaction before she faced their son.

"Let's go sit in the dining room," the brunette suggested. "We have a lot we need to discuss, Henry."

Emma followed behind the shorter woman and sat beside her as Henry took a seat across from them. The way his body seemed to bounce hinted that he was swinging his legs back and forth under the chair, a sure indication that he was anxious for them to just tell him already. The two women shared a glance before Emma slipped her hand into the brunette's under the table, a silent way of apologizing for her earlier reaction.

"Come on guys! I'm dying here!" Henry whined, which earned a glare from one mother and a chuckle from the other.

"Alright kid, here's the thing," Emma started. "Long story short; I have magic, you're grandma Cora is a psychopath, and your mother is my true love."

"Miss Swan!" Regina scolded as she glared at the other woman. "You might put our son into a state of shock by dumping it on him like that!"

"Sorry," Emma mumbled in response.

"I already knew that you had magic and that Grandma Cora was crazy from the stories in my book, but how do you know you're my mother's true love? I thought the stable boy was Mom's true love and if he is, then that means you can't be because we only have one true love," Henry countered Emma as he proved he was more than alright with the overload of information.

"Cora informed us that Daniel was under an infatuation spell so he wasn't Regina's true love," the blonde clarified. "She also put your mother in a sleeping curse while we were in the Enchanted Forest."

Henry's eyes lit up in realization. "You woke her up with true love's kiss."

"You got it kid," the sheriff praised. "The burst of magic from our kiss fixed all the realms that were damaged from the curse."

Their son fell silent for a moment, which caused the women to shift nervously.

"Henry, we will understand if you are not okay with this. It's a lot to take in considering the last time we were all together I had quite a loathing towards Emma," Regina explained. "If you need time to cope or you feel you're uncomfortable with this new situation, I'm sure Mary Margaret and David wouldn't mind taking you in."

Emma squeezed the mayor's hand, offering the only comfort she could while Henry was present.

"Can all three of us live here together, as a family?" Henry asked softly.

Regina choked back a sob and nodded. "Yes sweetheart, of course."

"What about Mary Margaret and David?" Henry questioned.

"What about them?" Emma probed.

"Snow White hates the evil queen. What if she tries to break you two apart?"

"You're worried that she might take Emma _away_ from me?" Regina questioned in complete shock.

"Well yeah," Henry answered with a shrug. "I was mad at you for lying about the fairytales being real but when you guys disappeared, I realized how much you meant to me. A lot of people still think of you as evil and I don't want them to break us apart or hurt you. You're still my mom, evil queen or not, and I love you."

Emma heard the cry escape Regina's throat and quickly spoke up. "I will never let anyone hurt you or your mother, so don't worry about the idiots of this town causing problems. As far as my parents go, they should know the strength of the bond of true love; it can't be denied or ignored. If they were to try to take me away from Regina, then they're not the parents I thought they were," she explained as she pulled the now crying brunette against her side and held her.

"I won't let it happen either," Henry stated proudly before he jumped from his seat and ran to Regina's other side. "I love you both," He confessed as he wrapped himself around his brunette mother's torso.

"After everything I have done…I don't deserve either of you," Regina declared between sobs as she brought her hand up to rest it on her son's head. "I've hurt a lot of people."

"You only did it because no one gave you a chance at happiness. Both of us were just pawns in a prearranged chess game," Emma clarified. "But now we have control of our lives and a chance at happiness as a family and I'll be damned if anyone tries to take that away from us."

"You both mean so much to me. If I ever lost either of you, I'm afraid there would be no way to stop the monste…"

"Don't! Don't even say it," Emma lectured as she cut her off. "Don't think it or even say it because it'll never happen. You will never become a monster again. Henry and I will make sure of that."

"But what if a lose both of you to some civilian bent on vengeance against me? You saw how black my heart was and it would be so easy to slip back into that darkness."

"Then you promise us, Mom," Henry lectured as he picked his head up to face his brunette mother. "You promise both of us that if anything were to happen to us, you will never become a monster again."

"Henry..."

"Promise us!" he demanded.

The mayor relinquished with a nod "I promise," she murmured before she held her two favorite people close.

"As much as I hate to break this up, Regina, we need to go talk to David and Mary," Emma gently reminded her. "On the bright side of this bound to be unpleasant visit for you is that your son and I will get our belongings so the three of us can return here later to our home where we belong…together."

"I like the way that sounds…our home," Regina confessed.

"Me too," Emma agreed before she backtracked and faltered. "Are you sure though? That you want me living here...with you?"

"I'm sure," the mayor replied with a warm smile.

Henry rolled his eyes before he started to pull at both of his mother's arms. "Come on you too. I wanna get this over with so we can come home and watch a movie."

The two women chuckled at their son's innocent request before they followed him to the front door and headed out.

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**AN: I'm not even sorry for making Henry less of a little shit. Villain or not, if my mom showed me that she could do magic when I was ten years old, I'd be thinking I had the coolest mom in the world. **


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: Thank you for the continued love for this story! It means more than you know!  
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**Happy reading :)**

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Mary Margaret was the one to answer the door when the Swan-Mills trio arrived and she moved aside to allow the guests into the apartment. She quickly ushered Emma and Regina to sit at the table before she handed out mugs of coffee to them. Emma had told Henry to go and pack their belongings under her breath and she watched as he practically ran up the stairs to fulfill his mother's request.

The four adults sat in an awkward silence until Regina cleared her throat and held up her hand. "I noticed the wraith mark didn't reappear when we returned. I take it he is no longer here in this world?"

"That is correct," David answered before he clarified in more detail. "Since Gold was responsible for unleashing the wraith, we told him to get rid of it. He refused at first, but Belle got him to cooperate and he recommended a small, desolate island that it could be sent to using the hat that you two disappeared in. We needed the hatter to open the portal since Gold refused to do it, so we tracked down Jefferson and he helped us. There wasn't enough magic to open a full portal but Jefferson managed to open it just enough to chuck the wraith's medallion in and just like that he was gone," David explained before he frowned. "We were making headway on a deal with Gold to help Jefferson open a bigger portal in order to reach you two, but King George stole the hat while we were busy tracking down wolf-Ruby who had escaped the fortified cooler Granny had locked her in during the full moon. I managed to catch up to him, but he lit the hat on fire and practically destroyed it. Jefferson said it's worthless now."

"Not necessarily; Emma and I can fix it with our combined magic," Regina clarified. "Anything else occur while we were gone that we should be aware of?"

"A lot has happened since you two disappeared," Snow started as she looked to the mayor. "It took some time to calm everyone down with their thirst for revenge against you, Regina. Several townspeople were plotting your demise for when you returned, but we managed to get that under control. David suggested everyone return to work and just live out their Storybrooke lives which surprisingly everyone agreed to. As months ticked by, all the anger for your punishment had practically dissipated; of course your son was a major factor in that turnabout."

Mary Margaret and David shared a small chuckle before he looked to Regina to explain.

"Henry was mad at you for some time, mainly because you lied to him and made him believe he was crazy about the whole fairytale thing. But as the days turned into weeks and then months of you two being gone, his attitude changed drastically and his anger for you had all but disappeared. Before we knew it, Ruby was calling us to the diner to retrieve him before he got injured by a crowd of angry patrons."

"What did he do at the diner?" Emma questioned in shock as the woman beside her remained mute.

"He was standing on a chair demanding that everyone leave his mother alone and explaining all the good she had done which mind you, wasn't that long of a list, but he made it sound like you single-handedly rescued everybody from the horrors of their ancient lifestyles and brought them to a modern world with better amenities. He also made sure to point out that you were still the acting mayor of this town," David recalled with a grin.

Regina seemed genuinely surprised as she tried not to tear up. "He...he defended me?"

"Henry loves you, even if you are the Evil Queen from our land," Mary Margaret quipped. "Enough about us though. Tell us, how did you two return to Storybrooke?"

"Regina and I managed to rejuvenate a magic bean that we got from a giant and we used it to reopen the Narnia wardrobe," Emma explained.

"The portal is still open at this very minute, but I'm unsure as to how long it will remain that way," Regina noted.

"So wait; you're telling us that we can return home to our land?" David questioned.

"Yes."

"But I thought our land was destroyed?"

Emma and Regina glanced at each other before the savior straightened her back and put on a brave face. "It was destroyed, but now all of the lands have been restored to what they were before the curse."

"How is that even possible," Snow pondered before she turned accusing eyes towards Regina. "Unless you used magic…"

The mayor couldn't help the smirk that graced her lips before she focused cool eyes upon the younger brunette. "It was magic alright, but it wasn't by my doing alone, Miss Blanchard."

Mary Margaret noted the blush that started to creep across her daughter's cheeks. "Emma, what does she mean by that?"

"True love's kiss," the savior answered before she risked a peek at her mother.

The blonde found it almost comical the way her parent's facial expressions went from confused to shocked to angry to confused again in a matter of seconds.

"Are you telling me that your true love is none other than my _wicked stepmother_?!" Snow hissed out in a clipped tone.

Emma snorted in response which earned her three glares before she bit her lip and offered a sheepish grin. "Sorry, it's the whole evil queen, wicked stepmother fairytale thing; I'm still trying to come to terms with it being real."

"You didn't answer my question," Snow accused as she crossed her arms defiantly.

"Look, I get that it's a shock to imagine the two of us together and that it might be hard for you to swallow, but there's no denying true love. I would think you and David would know that better than anybody else," the sheriff argued before she bravely reached across the table and held Regina's hand.

The mayor observed Mary Margaret's ears redden in anger at their clasped hands before she turned accusing eyes in her direction. "What about Daniel? I thought he was your_ true love_?"

"It was a horrid trick of the mind with an infatuation spell that my mother created so that I would realize that love is weakness," Regina replied in a calm voice. "Cora made me believe that she killed my one true love so that I would be more cooperative in being forced to marry your decrepit father."

The school teacher seethed at the older brunette's words but she kept her expression neutral as she faced her daughter. "Emma, are you sure this isn't some kind of trick or spell? I mean, it wouldn't be the first time Regina pulled a stunt like this just to get revenge upon me and your father."

The blonde narrowed her eyes as rage boiled beneath the surface. She leaned menacingly forward and opened her mouth to tell Snow where she could stick it, but a squeeze to her hand and a shake of Regina's head in her peripheral vision made her backtrack and pause. She gave a curt nod to the mayor to let her know she understood before she turned back to her mother with a more controlled expression as she growled out as calmly as she could, "This isn't about you or your history with the queen. Did you miss the part where I said it was true love's kiss that restored all of the lands?!"

"I didn't miss it, but how do you know it wasn't a trick?" the short-haired brunette retorted.

"Let me remind you that Regina was put under a sleeping curse by Cora," Emma sneered. "How the hell do you think she woke up?!"

Mary Margaret's eyes lit up in realization. "Oh my goodness, I get it now. You woke her up with true love's kiss which sent a blast of magic across the lands, fixing them to what they were before the curse."

"Ding! Ding! Ding! Give the woman a prize!" Emma cheered sarcastically which earned her a scowl from the pixie-haired woman.

"I'm sorry Emma, I just had to be sure."

"Don't apologize to me, apologize to Regina for falsely accusing her," the sheriff quipped.

Mary Margaret turned guarded eyes to the mayor before she cleared her throat. "I'm sorry, Regina. I spent my entire life running from you and it's hard not to be suspicious of this..._new_ you."

"People are capable of change, Miss Blanchard," the older brunette responded in a clipped tone.

I hope for Emma and Henry's sake that that is true," Mary Margaret responded before she focused on the shell-shocked man beside her. "David, are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine, it's just a lot to take in," he offered before he focused on his daughter. "Tell me, where is the portal located?"

"Mrs. Potts' house or whatever her name is here. It's a big wardrobe stuffed with smelly, fur coats," Emma explained. "It'll at least get you to Narnia, but we're hoping Jefferson will help out and transport people back to their homelands."

"We can return to our home, Snow," David clarified with a doe-eyed expression.

"That brings us to another issue I need to tell you," Emma stated as she looked shyly towards her parents. "I'm not going back."

"You're staying here," Mary Margaret surmised. "Which means Regina and Henry are staying here as well, correct?"

The mayor nodded. "This is my home now, with Henry and Emma. All the Enchanted Forest brought me was misery and sadness. This is my chance at a fresh start."

Mary Margaret offered the older woman a soft smile before she glanced at her husband. "You and I will need to discuss our choice as well before we bring this to the townspeople."

"You want to stay here?!" David asked incredulously as he read between the lines.

"Maybe, especially if our daughter and grandson are staying here."

"Snow," he whispered.

"We'll discuss this later, _Charming_," the pixie-haired brunette warned before she flipped her dark expression to a soft smile. "Now, I propose we have the dwarfs retrieve the wardrobe and bring it to the town hall. We'll hold a meeting in two days time and let everyone decide for themselves if they are staying or leaving."

"David, would you be able to talk to Jefferson? See if he'll help people travel from Narnia to wherever the hell they're from?" Emma asked. "Also, get his hat so we can fix it."

"Sure, I can do that," he offered. "Thanks to Henry, he has his daughter Grace back so I'm sure he'll be more reasonable to assist us this time around."

"Thanks," Emma replied before she gazed towards the loft steps. "Henry, you can quit spying and come down now."

A huff followed by footfalls on the stairs had all the adults chuckling as the young boy appeared before them.

"Did you pack everything?" Emma questioned.

"Of course Ma, it's not like you have that much stuff and I only had a few things here."

"I guess I should've known you'd be moving in with Regina," Snow realized solemnly. "It was nice having Henry here though."

"You'll still see us," the sheriff indicated. "It's not like we're moving to another state...or realm."

"Thank you for taking care of our son while we were away," Regina stated in a business-like tone.

"It was no problem," David replied.

"How about we gather your things and head home," the older brunette murmured to Emma as she stood from the table.

"Can't you just magic everything to the house?" Henry whined.

"Henry," Regina scolded.

"Mom please? It's so cool!" Henry begged.

"Alright, lead the way," the mayor relented as she followed her son up the steps and disappeared.

"Emma, are you sure about this?" Mary Margaret questioned in a lowered voice so the woman upstairs wouldn't hear her. "Regina has a very dark past and has done some awful things. She's also very smart when it comes to manipulating people."

"You don't know her like we do," David added as he sidled up beside his wife. "She's killed people."

"Actually, I do know her. I know her better than you two ever did," Emma snapped under her breath. "I saw how black her heart was and you know what, I don't care. I'm not perfect either and I've done some shady business in my lifetime, but Regina will never hold it against me or judge me for it. You know why?"

"Because she is your true love," Snow answered before she sighed. "We get Emma, we do, but understand that this is extremely difficult for us to accept."

"She tried to kill us," David mentioned.

"And you never tried to kill her?" Emma challenged.

"That's different; she was on trial," David pointed out.

"Look, I know it's a lot to take in but please, for me and Henry's sake, give Regina a second chance or a third...whatever number she is on now with you two. She has changed so much in the time we spent together in the Enchanted Forest and I just want everyone to see the good that I see in her," Emma pleaded.

"I make no promises, but we will try our best to be civil towards her," Mary Margaret offered.

"That's all I ask of you," Emma responded with a smile.

"This may seem awkward, but can we give you a hug?"

Emma froze as she suddenly felt like a awkward teenager who didn't want to hurt her parent's feelings, but also didn't want to hug them either. Looking at the two people across from her with their pleading eyes, she caved as she nodded in approval of their request. Mary Margaret and David quickly closed the gap and embraced their daughter for a few moments before Emma shyly withdrew from them.

They stood in an uncomfortable silence until Regina called out for Emma from upstairs. Thankful for the escape, the sheriff rushed up to the second floor and entered her old room to see Regina was having problems with her magic again.

"Having a little trouble?" Emma surmised as she walked over to the frustrated brunette and kissed her cheek. "Don't ever be ashamed to ask for help, my queen," she whispered into the shorter woman's ear.

A flush of heat raced through the mayor's body before she managed to compose herself as their son observed them with inquisitive eyes. Lacing their fingers together, Regina waved her hand and easily made the five packed boxes vanish from the room.

"You guys really are meant to be! You're like Yin and Yang; you balance the dark and light within each other. You even balance out magically," Henry explained before he left the room to go downstairs and say goodbye to his grandparents.

"Yin and Yang…it makes perfect sense," Emma agreed before she led the brunette out of the room.

* * *

After tucking their son in and kissing him goodnight, Regina showed Emma to what would be their shared bedroom and closed the door.

"This is going to take some acclimation on my part, but I do hope you can be patient with me as I adjust to this new arrangement," the older woman confessed.

"Trust me Regina, this isn't easy for me either. I've been alone my whole life and now suddenly I have this whole family unit," Emma countered. "I'm not used to it."

The brunette walked over to her closet and started moving things around. "Why don't we get your clothes put away into their new places and then we'll get ready for bed."

"Sounds good," the sheriff agreed as she approached one of her four boxes and started to unload it.

They worked in compatible silence together as Emma placed her clothes into segregated piles while Regina put them away into their new home. They only paused briefly when Regina held up a pair of Emma's lacy boy shorts with an amused grin that caused the blonde woman to turn a vibrant shade of red.

The sheriff opened the last box and realized it was all of her non-clothing stuff which included random items she had collected over the years, her baby blanket, and her personal file from her life in foster care. Regina watched the other woman as she clung tightly to the worn out brown folder as she fought to keep her tears at bay.

"Emma," she murmured as she crouched down beside the younger woman. "Are you alright?"

"I should hate you," the savior spat out, causing Regina's breath to hitch. "Everything I went through growing up, all the shit I put up with…but I can't. I know now that it's no more your fault than it is my parents."

The brunette blinked back the tears as she struggled to speak. "I...I am…Emma, I'm so sorry for all the heartache my selfishness had cost you. You were never supposed to grow up in this world and as difficult as it is for me to say this, your upbringing is my fault and my fault alone; your parents did not cause any of this."

"Didn't they?!" Emma snapped back as she cast an accusing glance towards the mayor. "If they hadn't put me in that damn tree trunk, I would've been here with them or hell even with you and not out there in foster care! They made that decision, not you."

"Yes, but they made that decision in order to protect you from me and the dark curse. They only did what they thought was best for you," Regina explained. "You should hate me. The fact that you are my true love makes absolutely no sense whatsoever; it's ludicrous."

"I've just been angry for so long wondering why and how my parents could abandon me that I sometimes forget how complicated this whole goddamn thing is," Emma admitted as she shook her head and sighed. "The point I was trying to reach was that I should hate you like I've hated my parent's for so long but I don't, because as fucked up as this whole situation is, I got Henry and you out of all of it with the added bonus of my missing parents, who happen to be decent human beings and not some incarcerated druggies who dumped their kid on the side of the road like yesterday's trash."

The sheriff reached out and brushed away the fresh tears that trickled down Regina's cheek. "Even without the details, I know your childhood was no better than mine. We're both damaged goods that could've had completely different lives if fate hadn't interceded and threw us in the ditch. We can continue to dwell on the what ifs and stay miserable or we can let the past stay in the past and we move forward together, in sickness and in health till death do us part."

A playful smirk crested upon the mayor's lips. "Was that some twisted way of you proposing to me, Miss Swan?"

"Maybe, but I know you have some justifiable issues with marriage so I'll wait until you're ready to make that commitment," Emma indicated before she held out the thick file towards the brunette. "Take it. You can read it if you like but when you're finished, I want you to dispose of it. I'm done living in the past."

"Are you sure about this?"

"I'm sure."

"I'll just dispose of this in the fireplace downstairs then," Regina informed her as she took the item from the younger woman's hands. "I cleared a spot on the upper shelf in the closet for the rest of the belongings you have in this box, whenever you are ready to put them away."

"Okay...thanks," Emma responded before she watched the brunette leave the room. A strangled sob escaped her throat before she hugged her baby blanket close to her face and allowed the pent up feelings to escape through a few small tears.

* * *

Regina held the file in front of her as the fireplace crackled a few feet away. She was seated on the sofa while an internal argument took place in her mind before she finally relented and opened up the folder. It took all of her willpower to not feel guilty as she leafed through the papers the file contained, from newspaper articles when she was found as a newborn to transfer requests from foster home to foster home. Several hospital discharge papers painted an ugly picture of the abuse Emma must've endured while in foster care as well as her decorated disciplinary records that showed a young savior who turned more and more rebellious as she grew into adolescence.

Regina felt privy to being allowed to see the information before her and she decided Emma deserved the same respect as to what she grew up with at the hands of her mother. Removing the five pictures of a younger Emma, the mayor walked over to the hearth and chucked the thick file into its flames. She watched it burn for a few minutes until she was satisfied it was gone before she headed back upstairs.

After checking to ensure Henry was still sleeping, Regina entered the master bedroom only to find a site that almost shattered her heart. Emma was curled up on the floor with her baby blanket tucked in her hand and under her head as she softly snored. She noted the trail of dried up tears on the sheriff's cheek before she made her way over and gently roused the slumbering woman. Emma blinked open her blue-green orbs before she scrubbed her face and yawned.

"Sorry, I didn't realize how tired I was," the savior mumbled as she sat up and stretched. "Did you get rid of it?"

"I did, but I kept the few pictures you had in there. I thought it might be a nice to give those to your parents," Regina suggested. "But if you think it'll only break their hearts, we can tuck them in with my photo albums until you decide what you would like to do with them."

"We'll keep them for now," Emma decided. "Did you read it?"

"Yes," Regina confessed. "Thank you for trusting me to see that part of you. I feel it's only fair to reciprocate the gesture."

"It would mean the world to me that you'd trust me with childhood experiences, something I'm sure you've never told anyone."

"Aside from what little is written in Henry's story book and what I told you when we climbed the beanstalk, you would be correct."

"Well when you're ready, I'd like to know the whole Regina Mills story from before she saved Snow White. In return, I'll tell you anything you want to know," the sheriff suggested.

"That sounds reasonable," the mayor responded as she helped the blonde to her feet. "How about we get ready for bed and then I'll start from the beginning," Regina suggested. "We'll unpack this remaining box tomorrow."

Emma smiled before she kissed the brunette. "I'd like that."


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: Holy frijoles, Batman! Over 200 followers! That is the most I've had yet for any of my published stories. I just love the SQ nation, you guys are amazing! You may not realize it, but a simple favorite or follow or review, even a private message makes my day so much brighter in my dark and cloudy world. Thank you for that.**

**Happy reading :)**

* * *

The town hall was standing room only as the crowded mass of people waited anxiously for Snow and David to bring the meeting to order. It was evident in some people's eyes that they were leery as to why Regina stood at the front of the room beside Emma, Henry, Mary Margaret, and David, but no one was brave enough to confront them about it.

"Alright everybody, listen up!" David shouted over the chatter. "We come to you today bearing good news."

"The queen's repentance for releasing the curse?" Leroy chirped up, earning a few nods of approval for his courage.

Emma growled before she pointed an accusing finger towards the dwarf. "Back off little man, I'm warning you."

Leroy had a right to look guilty before Snow bellowed out, "Enough! Regina's punishment has already been given in several forms and she is now on the path of redemption. You blame Mr. Gold if you want someone to answer for the curse, since he was the one who created it. All of this was a carefully construed plan that Rumple needed in order to find his son, Baelfire. We were all nothing but pawns to his little scheme, and that includes Regina."

Murmurs rumbled through the crowd at this information before Mary Margaret held an authoritative hand up, causing the room to fall silent.

"We found a way to return home," David declared before he waved a hand towards the imposing wardrobe that stood off to the side. "Emma and Regina were able to return here through this wardrobe. As of right now, the portal within still remains open."

"Since the wardrobe leads to Narnia, Jefferson has agreed to help everyone return to their proper lands by using his newly restored hat," Snow added as she pointed to the man in question, who offered a half-smile as he held his daughter tightly against his side.

"So our lands aren't destroyed?" Dr. Whale questioned in slight confusion.

Mary Margaret glanced over to her daughter and Emma tilted her head in silent permission for her mother to tell the crowd the truth. "They were destroyed, but thanks to the magic of true love's kiss, all the lands have been restored."

"True love's kiss?!" Leroy scoffed. "How could that happen when none of us were over there…oh, never mind."

A gasp ran through the crowd as they shifted their focus to the two women who stood beside Mary Margaret and David. Both had started to blush from the attention they were receiving until Henry took a protective stance in front of them.

"What are you people starin at?!" Henry suddenly snapped, causing most of them to turn away in embarrassment.

"Henry," Regina scolded with a stern look.

"Sorry Mom," Henry whispered.

Emma chuckled under her breath as she observed their son scowl at the remaining gawkers before David cleared his throat and held up a pad of paper. "We have no idea how long this portal will remain open and it wouldn't be fair of us to tie up Jefferson's time, so we are giving everybody two days to decide if they are staying or leaving. When you have made your decision, we would like you to write your name down on this pad of paper, along with the world you're from and if you are staying in Storybrooke or leaving for your homeland."

"We must stress that we are running on borrowed time with this portal, which is the reason for the necessary haste in your decision," Snow added.

"What about the town's border issue?" Granny asked from the crowd.

Snow looked to Regina and the mayor took the silent queue to answer the question as she stepped forward with a forced smile. "I am working on a spell that will keep strangers out, but allow us to leave Storybrooke with our memories intact. To ensure that nothing unworldly will be seen by the people outside of this town, anyone who possesses magic will not be able to use it outside the town border and all mythical creatures will remain human if they decide to leave town."

"So what you're saying is that, if I were to cross the line, I wouldn't change into a wolf anymore?" Ruby questioned.

"That is correct, but the minute you returned to Storybrooke, you would gain the wolf back," Regina clarified.

"If you like, I can help you with that spell," Blue offered, surprising the occupants at the front of the room. "It's important that we protect this town."

"That would be helpful, thank you," Regina replied before she stepped back to stand beside Emma once again.

"That's all we have for now," David announced. "Go home and think about your future. Don't forget to sign in on the sheet, which will remain here in the hall, once you've made your choice. If you decided to return to the other realm, meet back here in two days' time at noon and we'll begin the process of getting you back home."

The crowd slowly dissipated as the royal family watched on. Leroy and Ruby took the first shift to guard the wardrobe to keep people from tampering with it.

"Regina, may the four of us go into your office to speak in private?" Snow asked.

"Of course," the mayor replied before she lowered herself to be eye level with her son. "Stay out here with Ruby, please?"

"Sure Mom," Henry replied easily before he made his way over to the dark-haired waitress and chatted animatedly.

Once the four of them entered the mayor's office and shut the door, Mary Margaret started to pace nervously while twirling the ring on her finger. After a few minutes of waiting for her mother to speak, the sheriff's patience waned and she dramatically sighed.

"Seriously MM, just spit it out," Emma pushed.

"You're right," Mary Margaret responded before she paused in front of her daughter. "Look, there's no easy way to tell you this…"

"You're going back," Emma deduced as she cut her mother off.

"Yes," Snow confirmed. "Your father and I have a kingdom to restore and people to look after."

"This isn't our home," David explained. "We miss our castle and the Enchanted Forest. We don't belong here."

"Maybe not, but I do," Emma retorted. "This _is _my home and I already told you that I'm staying here."

"We understand that, which made our decision that much harder to make," Mary Margaret replied.

The savior suddenly realized she wasn't alone anymore in making life-altering decisions and she quickly turned to Regina and gripped her upper arms. "Do _you_ want to return? I know you said you didn't, but are you sure?"

The mayor offered a firm nod. "I'm sure, but I'll follow you wherever you go, whether that is to stay here in Storybrooke or to return to the Enchanted Forest."

"You would do that...for me?" Emma questioned in surprise.

"Yes."

The sheriff blinked back the tears that threatened to spill as she took the mayor's hand into her own and faced her parents.

"It sucks that you guys want to leave, especially since I just found out that you're my parents and all, but I also understand your decision to want to go home," Emma sympathized as she looked between her parents. "But my family…Regina, Henry, and I…we're staying here in Storybrooke."

Snow nodded in understanding before she nervously licked her lips. "There's something else I need to tell you, but I'm not sure how you will take it, especially after we just informed you that we're leaving."

"What is it?" Emma inquired as Regina tightened her grip on the sheriff's hand when she saw the soft expression that the younger brunette displayed; an expression she had seen once before.

"I'm pregnant," Mary Margaret blurted out.

The fair-haired woman stiffened as she tried to compose her features. She barely registered her hand that was closing tighter around Regina's smaller one until a soft whimper made her realize that she was hurting the mayor.

"Sorry," she muttered softly before she released the brunette's crushed appendage.

"Emma, it just happened but please, you must understand that we're not trying to replace you. We may have lost years with you, but you're still our daughter," David tried to reason. "With any luck, the portal will remain open and we can visit each other often and maybe with some time, you'll decide to return home where you belong."

"You have no idea how difficult of a decision this was to choose to leave you after just getting you back in our lives, but we know you are no longer a child and are very capable of taking care of yourself," Snow noted. "But a kingdom needs its rulers and as you pointed out to us, you have a family of your own now."

Emma repeatedly clenched and unclenched her fists as she tried to get a grip on her emotions. It wasn't until the gentle touch of Regina's hand to her upper arm that she finally felt calm enough to speak.

"I guess congratulations are in order then," the savior quipped with an icy tone. "But don't expect me to visit you over there."

"Emma," the younger brunette chastised as she was about to argue, but when she saw the barely controlled anger seething beneath her daughter's demeanor, she backtracked and changed the subject. "We're going to the apartment to pack our belongings. Please, come see us before we leave."

The sheriff nodded in answer but that was all she offered as her gaze remained rooted to the floor.

"I'll make sure Emma and Henry visit," Regina offered.

"Thank you," David responded before the couple turned and left the office without another word.

Fingertips touched the underneath of Emma's chin as they forced her to look up into chocolate orbs.

"It's okay to be hurt and angry," the mayor rationalized. "It's okay to feel betrayed by the people you love."

That was all it took before tears started to stream down the savior's face. Roughly yanking away from the brunette, Emma stalked towards the eloquent meeting table and grabbed one of the ornate chairs before she hefted it over her head and slammed it down with brute force over the table's pristine surface. A shocked cry slipped past Regina's lips as she watched splintered pieces of the wooden legs propel in various directions, one in particular almost grazing her forehead. The blonde chucked the broken chair at the wall as if it was as weightless as paper, watching as it slammed into the framed picture of dragonflies, shattering the glass before it all fell to the floor in a mangled heap. Not missing a beat, she seized the edge of the long, heavy table and upended it in one fell swoop, causing the expensive furniture to crash on its side with a resounding crack before a feral scream tore from her throat. The enraged daughter of Snow White actually frightened the former Evil Queen as she observed the savior's behavior in stunned silence.

Leroy and Ruby barreled through the mayor's office door when they heard the commotion, but froze in their tracks when they saw it was none other than the town's sheriff who had caused the noise and destruction.

"Leave us and keep Henry out of here," Regina managed to say and she watched in amazement as they actually listened to her when they quickly scrambled from the room. If it wasn't such a dire situation, she would've laughed at how scared they were of their precious savior's temper tantrum.

"Why?" Emma demanded as she focused blazing eyes on the mayor. "Why does everyone abandon me?"

The older woman slowly approached her as if she would spook the blonde if she moved too fast.

"I'm still here, aren't I?" the mayor proposed. "I haven't left you."

"Give it time," the blonde scoffed.

"No!" Regina snapped as her own temper flared before she daringly stepped into Emma's personal space. "I will _never_ leave you. I know what it is like to be abandoned as well and I would never intentionally do that to you."

"Promise me," the savior pressed as her body shook with barely contained emotion.

"I promise you, I'm not going anywhere; as long as you promise me the same."

"I promise," Emma replied before her lips started to quiver in a telltale sign of an impending sob. "I just found them and they're leaving me…again! With a new fuckin baby on the way!"

"I know," the mayor whispered before she barely caught the golden-haired savior as she collapsed into her arms.

Hard sobs wrenched from the sheriff's body as she clung onto the brunette out of a desperate need to be comforted. Regina managed to lower them to the ground with Emma practically in her lap as she brushed her fingers through thick blonde curls and gently rocked from side to side.

"Shh...I got you," Regina reassured as she held the blonde close. "I'm not going anywhere."

It took Emma nearly ten minutes to compose herself before she finally sat up and faced the other woman.

"Thank you," the sheriff muttered as she wiped at her face and sniffled.

"Do you feel better?"

"Yeah," she answered before she softly mumbled, "I'm sorry."

"What are you apologizing for?" the brunette questioned as she brushed the few errant tears that Emma had missed on her cheeks.

"Breaking your stuff and going all Mr. Hyde in your office," the sheriff explained as she noted the wreckage she had caused.

"It's quite alright," Regina indicated. "Besides, I don't think it'll be my office for much longer."

"Yes it will," Emma stated. "Trust me, Regina; you'll be the mayor of this town until you retire."

"And what makes you so sure?"

"Because you are a queen and I am your knight, which in this realm translates into mayor and sheriff."

"Oh it does now, does it? I must have missed that memo," Regina humored, causing the blonde to chuckle.

"You're starting to become a pro at cracking jokes; I'm impressed."

"Don't push it, Miss Swan," she warned with a hint of a smirk.

"As you wish, _my queen_," Emma whispered with a wink.

"Let's get this cleaned up and go home," the mayor offered as the couple got up from the ground.

"I really am sorry if I frightened you in any way," Emma apologized.

"I'd rather you let it out than keep it bottled up inside," Regina clarified. "Trust me, I know."

The mayor cupped the younger woman's arm as she waved her other hand and magically repaired the mess that the sheriff had created. Satisfied that the room was back to its original form, Regina moved her hand down until she reached the blonde's hand and interlaced their fingers. With a smile, she guided her towards the doors and pulled them open, only to be pushed back by the force of a small body slamming into them.

"Are you guys okay? I heard a crash and a scream, but Ruby said it was just Emma stubbing her toe against the table, but it sounded so much worse than that," Henry rambled out as he glanced between the two women before he focused on Emma. "You were crying Ma, I can tell you were crying. Did you really hurt your toe that bad?"

The sheriff raised an eyebrow towards Ruby who shrugged in response before she ruffled her son's hair and offered a half smirk.

"I stubbed my toe really hard and it hurt something fierce, but I'm fine now because your mother made it all better," Emma smoothly lied.

"Okay," Henry said as he accepted her answer. "Can we go home now?"

"Yes, we can go home now," Emma replied as she suddenly felt light in the realization that she didn't need anyone but her son and his mother. She would miss her parents, but she truly had a family she could call her own.


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: I planned to forewarn you that this chapter was a little sad, but then I realized this chapter is a little bit of everything so, happy emotional roller coaster reading :)**

* * *

The following day, Regina met up with Blue and Gold at the borderline. After informing Gold on their decision to fix the border, he was more than eager to help. Belle had informed the mayor and mother superior about Rumple's son being located in New York City when they were leery of his assistance. It was with that small amount of information that the three people you would never think to see working together managed to dismiss their prior resentments and collaborated to work as a team.

Emma, on the other hand, had swallowed her anger and took Henry over to Mary Margaret's apartment to visit. She felt it was her parent's responsibility to inform their grandson that they were leaving and so she brought him there to hear it from them. Henry took the information in stride, or so Emma thought, and the two had a nice time with Snow and David before she made up some lame excuse that they were meeting Regina at Granny's for dinner.

"Will you be at the town hall tomorrow to say goodbye?" Mary Margaret had asked her daughter as she prepared to leave the apartment.

"I don't know yet," Emma answered honestly. "I'm not really good with goodbyes."

"Your mother and I would like to see you before we go…please try to come," David pleaded.

"We'll see," she replied before she pulled Henry out of the door and left.

She sent a quick text to Regina to tell her they were going to the diner and to meet them there as they walked along the barren streets. The town seemed unusually quiet which was odd to the blonde until she realized what was missing; Henry's nonstop chatter. She glanced to her side at said child and took in his slouched frame and bowed head.

"What's wrong, kid?" Emma questioned and she watched the boy shrug in response. "Don't tell me a cat's got your tongue…oh God! Is there really a cat that steals people's tongues?!"

Henry laughed despite his melancholy mood and looked to his mother's horror-stricken face. "There's no such thing as a cat tongue burglar."

"How do you know? What if he's really sneaky and his story somehow got left out of the book," Emma challenged as she mentally high-fived herself for getting her son to laugh.

"Ma," Henry whined out between chuckles.

Emma could never get enough of him calling her Mom and she slung her arm over his shoulders and pulled him in close.

"All right, you're the expert so if you say there aren't any cat tongue burglars then I believe you," Emma relented. "Now, you gonna tell me what's wrong?"

"I'm mad at Gramps and Grandma. I thought that once everyone got their memories back that you and me could get to know the real them, but now…now they're leaving and it makes me so mad that they could just leave you again," he explained.

"Henry," Emma responded softly. "You don't have to be mad at your grandparents for my sake. You spent a lot of time with them while your mother and I were gone and I know you care a lot about them."

"I do care and that's why I don't understand...how could they leave us? What kind of fairytale princess abandons her long lost child?"

"Apparently these ones," Emma scoffed before she sighed heavily. "Look Henry, I'm not a child anymore and they realized that. Am I hurt by their decision, of course I am, but they are being offered a second chance to live the life they should've lived before the curse and I don't have the heart to tell them to stay here because it would be selfish of me."

"Then why aren't we going to the Enchanted Forest? Why are we staying here?"

Emma stopped walking before she crouched to be eye level with her son. "You mother and I have decided that this is our home. I could never get used to living in a palace without electricity or modern amenities and as cool as it might seem to you now, what happens when you grow old of the fairytale life and you want to come back here, but you can't because that option is gone? There is so much more you can do with your future here in America than you can in the Enchanted Forest."

"I suppose," Henry agreed as he dropped his head. "But I still wanna ride a horse and learn to fight with a sword."

"And you shall," Emma pointed out. "Your mother is an amazing horseback rider and she'll teach you everything you want to know."

"Who's gonna teach me the sword?" Henry questioned.

"I can teach you what little I know, or I can take you for fencing lessons in the nearby town," Emma offered.

"Really?"

"Really; and if you want to learn how to be a proper prince, your mother and I can ship you off to a boarding school in England," Emma teased.

"Very funny, Ma," Henry quipped before he threw his arms around the sheriff's neck and hugged her. "Thank you for giving me a chance at a better life."

Emma squeezed her son in return. "No matter what, you will always have your mother and me."

"And for that I am the luckiest boy in the world," he replied.

"Awe kid, you're gonna make me cry," the savior chastised as she hugged him harder.

"Is this a membership only club or can anyone join?" A familiar voice asked from behind Henry.

Emma locked eyes with her soul mate before she scooped up her son into her arms. "Membership only which means, it's a good thing you have one."

Regina grinned widely as her family enveloped her into their arms. Henry was happily squished between the two women and they stayed that way for a few seconds before they pulled out of it. Emma set their son back down on his feet before he took each of their hands and walked proudly in between them as they headed for the diner.

* * *

As Ruby collected the empty dishes from their table, Emma leaned back against the booth and sighed contentedly.

"This world's food alone should keep people from leaving Storybrooke," Emma joked as she patted her distended belly.

"I thought we ate pretty well over there considering the lack of game to hunt," Regina countered as she looked to their son beside her and shrugged.

"Let's just say that before our forced vacation to Fairy Tale Land, I had loathing for venison. Now, I'd happily eat it on any given day over what I was forced to eat over there," Emma exaggerated.

Oh stop your whining," Regina chided as she rolled her eyes. "You sound like our eleven year old son."

"I don't know, Mom," Henry challenged as he crossed his arms defiantly. "I think Emma whines more than I do."

"Really kid? You're gonna sell me out just like that?" Emma scoffed as the mayor chuckled under her breath. "Anyway...how is the border voodoo coming?"

"It's finished. Gold, Blue, and I managed to work together and once we accomplished that feat, it only took a couple of hours before we had the spell and cast it," Regina informed them before she took a sip of her coffee. "We even tested it out."

"What do you mean you tested it out? Who did you use as bait?" the savior questioned.

"All three of us crossed over it," Regina admitted. "Nobody lost their memories and all three of us were unable to use magic on the other side of the border. Once we crossed back, our magic returned; mission accomplished. Gold is packing his things as we speak. Apparently he and Miss Belle are leaving Storybrooke to search for his long lost son. I say good riddance."

Regina went to take another sip of her coffee, but the two pairs of eyes glaring at her made her feel self-conscious. "Why are you two looking at me like that?"

"Are you out of your goddamn mind?!" Emma snapped in a seething tone.

"Watch your lang…"

"Fuck my language! How could you risk losing your memories by crossing that border? What if it didn't work and you ended up forgetting about us and then I get a call that there are three bumbling idiots walking along the borderline asking for answers as to who they are. Do you have any idea what that would've done to me? To _your son_?!"

"Emma," the brunette started as she reached across the table to take the savior's hand. "You're right. I am sorry I didn't inform you, but all you would've had to do was kiss me; you knew that already."

The blonde yanked her hand back and crossed her arms. "You're not alone anymore, Madame Mayor. You can't make decisions about your life without giving me or our son at least a fair warning in advance. That way, we can talk your stupid ass out of it if we feel it's a threat to your well being."

Regina ducked her head and stared at her hands in her lap. She felt guilty, more than she had ever felt in her entire life. "As I told Henry once, I'm not very good at loving people. I am truly sorry, to both of you."

Emma blew out a frustrated breath before she uncrossed her arms and reached for the mayor's chin. When watery russet eyes gazed up to meet her blue-green orbs, she quickly scooted around the table and sat beside the mayor.

"Please don't cry, Regina. I'm sorry I yelled at you, it's just...the thought of losing you is unbearable," Emma explained as she hugged the brunette against her side.

Henry, who had remained quiet this whole time, wrapped his arms around Regina's waist and squeezed.

"I know I haven't been the best son lately, but I can't lose you or Emma. You're my only family now that my grandparents are leaving and since you've changed and are fighting for the good side, I can't wait to have a somewhat normal family life with my two moms," Henry confessed before he looked up at both of his mother's faces. "Maybe I can even have a sibling someday, but you two would have to get married first."

Regina visibly paled as Emma chuckled beside her.

"Wow kid, you got our whole future mapped out for us," the sheriff responded as Henry grinned mischievously. "Since you seem to have all the answers, when are we getting married?"

"A few months from now, after everything settles down and goes back to normal."

"Okay…what about this future sibling of yours?" the sheriff pressed as the brunette stiffened.

"My sister will join us next year," Henry explained as if he was reading it from a book. "Mom will carry her since you carried me."

Emma heard the other woman gasp, but she didn't acknowledge it as she was suddenly intrigued by the image of a pregnant Regina.

"If this future sister of yours will be your mother's biological daughter, then who are we using as the father? Anonymous donor?"

Henry rolled his eyes and gave Emma his best 'duh' expression. "No Ma, you'll be the father."

"Um kid, I'm guessing your mom hasn't had the birds and the bees talk with you yet, but…"

"That doesn't matter here," Henry stated as he cut his mother's lecture off. "You and Mom have magic and that's all you need."

The savior opened and closed her mouth like a fish out of water as she struggled to find the right words to respond with. A small nudge from her side had her moving out of the booth as Regina quickly slid out after her.

"It's late. We should head home," the mayor suggested in hopes of changing the subject.

Henry slid out of the booth after her with a shit-eating grin plastered on his face before he ran out of the diner ahead of them.

"Emma," Regina called out. "Are you coming?"

The sheriff snapped out of her zombie-like trance when a warm hand pressed into hers before she nodded in answer. The mayor pulled her along and she willingly followed as her head continued to swim with different thoughts of weddings and babies.

* * *

Later that night, the two women made their way to the master bedroom after tucking Henry in and they both quickly settled under the sheets.

"Is it true? Can that really happen?" Emma questioned out loud in the darkened room.

"Anything is possible with magic, but it always comes with a price," Regina answered softly.

"Would you…," Emma started before she turned to face the other woman. "Do you want another child?"

A lone tear slid down the brunette's face before she found herself enveloped in strong arms. She leaned back to gaze into emerald eyes, needing to face Emma when she revealed a secret no one knew.

"I can't have children," the mayor confessed. "I was given a vile potion that forced my body to abort the growing child that Daniel gave me. My mother didn't want the king to find out since I was supposed to be a virgin when I was forced to marry him."

"Oh Regina," Emma murmured as she cupped the brunette's face and caressed her cheek. "I'm so sorry."

"I was only about two months along and I never got sick, which I heard was a blessing," the mayor recalled.

"What happened? I don't understand why you can't have children if you were pregnant once before?"

"As you are well aware from seeing the land for yourself, the kingdom didn't have the medicinal technology that this world offers. My body didn't flush out the fetus like it should've when I took the potion. I had to be snuck out of the castle during the night and I was taken to an unconventional doctor that had a cabin in the woods. The damage he caused was irreversible and since the king only doted on his _precious_ Snow, he never questioned why I wasn't able to give him an heir."

Emma softly kissed the brunette's lips before she pulled her head down onto her chest and brushed her fingers soothingly through the mayor's dark locks.

"No one will ever hurt you again," Emma promised and she felt the older woman unravel as her body wracked with painful sobs.

The sheriff continued to hold and soothe Regina until she felt her body suddenly relax in her arms. Hearing the evened out breaths, she realized the mayor had cried herself to sleep. Holding the shorter woman a little snugger, Emma closed her eyes and drifted off shortly afterwards.

* * *

The next morning the sheriff woke up to the tender caress of fingertips tracing along the contours of her body. A smile crept upon her face and she felt soft lips press gently against her own before they pulled away.

"Morning beautiful," Emma greeted as she opened her eyes and gazed into chestnut orbs. "Did you sleep well?"

"Surprisingly yes. I feel like some weight has been lifted off my shoulders," Regina confessed.

The savior reached up and tucked the mayor's unruly hair behind her ear. "I would sell my soul to Mr. Gold if I knew he had the potion I needed to help me give you everything you deserve."

"Rumple will get nowhere near your soul," the brunette growled.

"My point is, I would do anything to take away the bad memories and give you a child," Emma reiterated.

The mayor searched Emma's face for any falseness to her statement, but all she saw was love, pure and simple.

"You would really consider having a child with me?" the mayor questioned.

"I used to think I never wanted kids. After giving up Henry, I was extra careful to never end up pregnant again and I was okay with that decision for a long time. But then Henry appeared at my doorstep and before I knew it, I couldn't imagine my life without him. Then you happened and now thanks to our future predicting gypsy son, I keep picturing you pregnant with our unborn child and my heart swells at the idea," Emma confessed.

"Well, I'm not sure if magic or even this worlds medical wonders can fix the damage done to me, but if you truly want to give this a chance, then I suppose we can try," Regina offered. "After we're married, of course."

Emma laughed. "Of course."

"We should get moving if we want to get to the town hall by noon," Regina pointed out before she moved away from the other woman and got up.

"Yeah, I suppose," the blonde replied in an unamused tone.

The mayor slipped her robe on as she watched her lover from the corner of her eye. Emma's face twitched as she appeared to be having a silent battle with herself before she huffed in frustration and stomped into the bathroom. Regina followed after her and observed from the doorway as the savior stripped off her pajamas and entered the shower.

"Is everything okay, dear?" the mayor questioned in concern.

"Just not sure how I feel about today," Emma answered over the rushing water.

Regina slipped out of her robe and silk pajamas before she entered the shower behind the taller woman. Her arms circled around Emma's waist and she rested her cheek against the sheriff's freckled back.

"You're allowed to feel upset," Regina murmured as she felt the blonde sigh.

Emma turned in the mayor's embrace and looked down at the brunette with stormy eyes. "That's the thing, Regina; I don't feel upset at all!"

The mayor knitted her brow in confusion. "I'm not sure I understand. What are you implying?"

Emma let out a exasperated breath as she loosely wrapped her arms around the shorter woman's shoulders. "I should be upset or even hurt that my parents are leaving today with what could be forever, but I'm not. It's like I suddenly realized I never really needed them and I feel guilty for thinking that."

"I understand the prospect of finding your parents was probably exciting at first, like finding the missing piece to an unsolved puzzle, but you've come to realize that you now have a family of your own that you're not willing to sacrifice in order to be with the parents who can no longer guide you. You have learned to survive and live for years without them. I would actually be concerned if you felt any remorse today, since that would be out of character for you. On the other hand, this will catch up to you one day and when it does, I will be there to comfort you when you come to terms with their absence."

Emma kissed Regina's nose before she flashed a mischievous smile. "Thank you Dr. Hopper. I knew you'd understand."

The shorter woman scowled before she shoved the savior under the shower head, causing Emma to sputter as she was doused in water. When she managed to move out of the spray, she glared at the laughing brunette in front of her.

"You are going to pay for that," Emma warned as her eyes darkened to a forest green.

"Oh, I hope so," Regina replied huskily before she found herself pinned against the tiled wall. "Do be careful not to leave visible marks."

"I make no promises," the savior answered before her mouth descended upon the willing mayor's throat.


	13. Chapter 13

**AN: You guys are amazing! That is all. Carry on :)****  
**

* * *

Emma was surprised to find only about a third of the town was returning to their prospective homelands. She was even more shocked to find out who had planned on staying in Storybrooke, including Ruby, Granny, Dr. Hopper, and Dr. Whale. It seemed liked all the royal families and a few hundred stragglers were the only ones going back. Jefferson actually had it easy with only three worlds to visit before he also returned to Storybrooke to live out his days, a decision made for him by his daughter.

"I'm conflicted," Regina expressed under her breath so only the woman next to her could hear her. "I cursed all of the people in this town, ripping them away from their homes and families to be imprisoned here in this world for the past twenty-eight years. And yet, instead of going back home, they decide to remain here."

"You have to admit, Regina, that as far as curses go, this has to be one of the lamest ones in existence," Emma clarified.

"How dare you insult my curse!" the brunette suddenly roared, which earned her a few glares from the crowded room's occupants. The mayor glanced around and blushed before she glowered at Emma. "The dark curse was _the_ most powerful curse ever to be unleashed upon our lands," Regina hissed in a lower voice.

"My apologies y_our Majesty_, but think about it; you sent a bunch of fairytale characters to a land that had amenities years ahead of your renaissance way of living. The bathroom alone would keep me here! You could've sent them all to the pits of Hell suffering eternal damnation, but instead you send them to Storybrooke, Maine where they get to live out a fairly decent life, give or take a happy ending," Emma argued.

"Miss Swan!" Regina bellowed out as she actually stamped her foot like a petulant child.

The sound of snickering startled the brunette and she turned to glare menacingly at the sheriff.

"You have no idea what I am capable of," the mayor warned in a low voice.

If looks could kill, Emma would have been a pile of smoldering ash. But instead of scaring the blonde like she had intended to, Regina observed the sheriff's eyes darken with desire instead of fright.

"On the contrary, Mayor Mills, I'm well aware of what you are capable of," Emma purred, causing all the anger to dissipate from the brunette before her.

Regina turned away as her crimson cheeks burned with a mixture of embarrassment and lust. Soft hands wrapped around her torso and as much as she hated the idea of displaying public affection, she couldn't prevent the upward curvature of her lips that the loving embrace caused.

"Stop berating yourself about what you did as the evil queen," Emma murmured into her ear. "From this day forth, you are nothing but Regina; mother of Henry, true lover of Emma, and the mayor of Storybrooke...but I need you to do something first."

"What's that, Dear?"

"Admit your curse was lame," Emma teased with a rueful smile.

"Never," the brunette suddenly snapped before she wiggled out of the savior's grip and stalked away.

"Regina," Emma called after her in a whiny tone. "I was only kidding."

"Where is she going?" Ruby asked as she approached the blonde after witnessing their little debacle.

"Probably to her office to cool off," the sheriff assumed with a shrug. "Apparently I bruised her ego by insulting the curse she unleashed."

"Emma," Ruby chastised. "Regina's been doing so well with trying to change. That last thing she needs right now is her girlfriend poking fun at her for past mistakes. Go apologize."

"What? Why?!" the sheriff asked incredulously. "I didn't do anything wrong. I told her to put the evil queen crap behind her."

Ruby rolled her eyes before she turned Emma to face the mayor's office. "You suck at reading women and that says a lot considering you're a woman yourself. Now go and apologize. You'll thank me when your smiling face exits that office door in about five minutes."

The savior scoffed as she was roughly pushed from behind and she swatted at chuckling waitress before she marched purposely towards the mayor's office. Cracking the door open, she spotted Regina standing by the window behind her desk as she gazed down below. Emma quietly made her way over to Regina's side before wrapping her arms around the mayor's waist.

"I'm sorry," Emma murmured as she rested her chin on the older woman's shoulder.

Regina patted the arms around her midsection and smiled. "I'm sorry too. I overreacted on something that wasn't even mine to begin with. It is Rumple's curse after all but still, I shouldn't have behaved so irrationally. My emotions seem to be in turmoil lately."

"I'm sorry about your tree," the savior added as she noted the object the brunette was gazing upon.

Regina laughed before she twisted to face the blonde. "As you very well should be."

"You're not the only one who's been emotional lately and I think after today, we should just relax at home with our son for a much needed breather from all this crap. What do you say?"

Regina tilted her head and smirked. "I say that's a lovely idea."

The savior placed a soft kiss to the mayor's mouth before she pulled back. "Let's go say our goodbyes to Mary Margaret and David."

* * *

The separation from her newly found parents went smoother than Emma could've hoped for. Mary Margaret and David explained that most of the people going back belonged to their kingdom so they no longer had a choice; they had to return. Her mother extended the invitation that they were always welcome if they ever ventured into the Enchanted Forest, including Regina.

Snow and David were informed of Cora in Rumplestiltskin's cell and of the pardon they promised Anton the giant and that he is to be left alone. As a final show of trying to reconcile for past misdeeds, Regina handed a scroll over to Snow and explained it was an authentic contract of relinquishing her title as queen over to Snow White. Everybody was stunned by the action and Regina merely shrugged it off as she informed them that she never wanted to be a queen in the first place and the title rightfully belonged to the king's daughter.

With final hugs and some tears, everyone ventured into the wardrobe until the hall was emptied out, save for the few who came to say their farewells. Emma, Regina, and Henry, along with Grace, hung around town hall to keep watch over the wardrobe until Jefferson's return. Regina managed to get Henry and Grace settled in her office doing homework as the two adults sat together in the hall and chatted.

"You didn't have to do that, you know," Emma stated as she propped her feet up on a nearby chair.

"Do what, Dear?"

"Give Mary Margaret your crown. She is more than capable of running the kingdom without the title of queen," the sheriff indicated.

"I realize that, but you must understand, Emma; being queen has brought me nothing but misery and pain. I lost my innocence to that crown," Regina explained. "Besides, I prefer my new title as mayor, with my knight and our prince in the kingdom of Storybrooke."

"Well official title or not, you will always by my queen to me," Emma murmured with a wink and Regina chuckled.

Both women startled when the wardrobe doors suddenly flew open only to reveal Jefferson as he stepped out.

"Everyone is safely tucked away in their proper homelands," the hatter explained before he looked around. "Where is Grace?"

"In my office working on homework," the mayor answered and they watched the hatter quickly walk in that direction.

A couple minutes later, Henry bounded out of the office with Jefferson and Grace behind him.

"Thank you for your help today, Jefferson," Emma offered as the man approached them.

"I believe we are even now, Sheriff Swan. Please respect my wishes to be left alone and I will honor you with the same respect," the hatter asked.

"Extend that wish to family and we have a deal," Emma pushed. "And just to clarify, Regina is part of my family."

The sheriff noted the man's jaw as he clenched it tightly before he muttered, "Fine."

"Okay then. Have a nice life," Emma stated before she turned to Grace and winked. "Bye Grace."

Jefferson tugged his daughter's hand to follow him and she turned back and waved with a smile.

"See you at school!" Henry shouted after her and he watched her smile grow brighter before they disappeared out the doors.

Emma pulled out her cell phone and dialed the number for the Storybrooke Moving Company and informed them it was time to pick up the bulky piece of furniture. Being that they were already warned of the impending pick up, the movers, who happened to be Jasper and Horace, arrived at the town hall within minutes and transported the wardrobe to it's temporary home. It was decided that the wardrobe would be locked up for the time being in one of the jail cells at the Sheriff's station. It alleviated the need for human surveillance to keep watch over it, especially since Emma lost her deputy father and the dwarfs, who came in handy now and again.

* * *

Due to the late hour, they stopped at Granny's for a quick dinner before the family of three went home and settled in front of the television to watch Monsters Inc., a movie choice that Henry had insisted upon.

Halfway into the movie, a soft snore startled Emma and she looked down to see Henry had fallen asleep between them. Carefully readjusting him from the awkward position he was in, the blonde placed his legs across her lap as Regina cradled his head. They gazed lovingly down at their slumbering son before they returned their attention to the movie.

"She looks like what I imagine you would've looked like as a kid," Emma pointed out as Boo appeared on the screen.

"Photographs were uncommon in our land so I have no idea what I looked like, but I do know I never had bangs," Regina murmured. "Or pigtails."

"Well, if we ever have a little girl, I hope she looks just like her," the sheriff confessed as she looked to the mayor. "In other words, just like you."

"Emma," Regina started as she combed her fingers through Henry's hair. "I don't want you to get any kind of false hope that I'll be able to conceive children. I realize our son has sent you down this path of wanting a child of our own, but you need to come to terms with reality and that reality is that Henry will most likely be our only offspring."

The savior dropped her head and sighed. "I know, I'm sorry, but I can't stop picturing this image of you pregnant and this little girl with your eyes and smile…I never wanted something so much in my life and it's driving me nuts. I guess this is what they call baby fever."

"We're just starting out ourselves. Do you really want to bring an infant into the picture?"

"We're not young lovers, Regina, and we already have a son who is eleven years old. It's bad enough I'm going to be a first-time sister at twenty nine and I don't want to do that to Henry or to us. We have the rest of our lives to enjoy each other, whether it's with one kid or two," Emma explained.

"You're relentless," the brunette chastised with an eye roll.

"But you love me," Emma sang out softly.

"Sometimes," the mayor retorted before she looked to their son. "I think it's time we put him to bed."

"I'll take him up," the savior declared before she shifted out from under Henry's legs and stood up. Gazing upon mother and son, she couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy.

"I missed out on so much because I wasn't ready," Emma confessed as she caught Regina's gaze. "And now that I am ready, I may never have the chance to experience any of it."

The mayor remained silent as the younger woman picked up their son and hefted him into her arms. Henry shifted on autopilot to hook his legs and wrap his arms around his blonde mother and he clung tightly to her as she headed up the stairs.

Regina had witnessed the raw emotion that crossed the sheriff's face as she confessed her desire for another child and she decided that Emma needed some breathing room to come to terms with the fact that it may never come to pass. Turning her attention back to the neglected movie, she couldn't help the lone tear that escaped as she watched the animated little girl on the screen.

* * *

Three weeks had quickly passed by since the portion of townspeople had left to return to their prospective Fairy Tale Land homes. Emma and Regina had settled into a somewhat domesticated routine and Henry was soaking up all the attention and love of having them under the same roof. The town was eerily quiet compared to the chaos it had been since the curse broke. Mr. Gold had left town with Belle to look for his son and hasn't returned, Leroy was no longer in Storybrooke to get arrested on a daily basis, and nobody was protesting or causing any problems, which left Emma twiddling her thumbs in her office. Her only highlight every day had been at noon, when she would join Regina at Granny's for lunch.

The wardrobe had remained silent in its locked cell. Every morning Emma would check to make sure no poor soul was trapped in there, but to her dismay, the cell would remain barren every time she looked in on it. A small part of her had hoped her parents would change their mind and return, but she'd scoff at the thought and brushed it off every time she considered it.

The clock tower outside loudly chimed as it signaled that it was twelve o'clock and the sheriff scrambled for her coat before she bolted from the station. She had just parked outside the diner when her cell phone vibrated in her pocket and she huffed in frustration as she quickly pulled it out. Seeing Regina's name on the caller ID, she scrunched her forehead in confusion as she answered.

"Hey, I just arrived Granny's," Emma greeted before she paused. "Where are you? Why? Alright, I'll head back over."

Confused by Regina's demand, she turned the cruiser's engine over and drove back to the Sheriff's station. Entering her office, Emma was surprised to find the mayor sitting at her desk looking pale.

"Regina, what's wrong?" the blonde questioned as she quickly made her way to the brunette's side.

"I don't know how to properly inform you of this," Regina stated softly.

"You're scaring me," Emma warned as she watched the emotions play out over the mayor's face.

"I was going to surprise you by picking you up and taking you home for lunch," Regina started. "But I was running behind and I must've just missed you."

"Okay…"

"While I was here, I decided to do a quick check on the wardrobe and…," the mayor paused. "Emma, the portal is closed."

"What do you mean it's closed?"

"How much more clarity do you need?"

The younger woman started to pace as she ran her fingers through her golden hair.

"So that's it then…no more going to Fairy Tale Land or Fairy Tale Land coming here," Emma clarified.

"We knew it wasn't permanent. To be honest, I'm surprised it lasted this long," the brunette offered before she reached out. "I'm sorry, Emma."

The savior drew away before the mayor could touch her. "No, it's cool. I'm alright."

"Are you?"

"I'll be okay," the blonde reworded. "They made their choice and I've learned to come to terms with it."

"There's something else you should know," Regina murmured. "The original reason I came here to pick you up."

"How much worse can it get?!" the sheriff whined. "Go ahead; lay it on me."

"I'm…I'm pregnant," Regina confessed.


	14. Chapter 14

**AN: Over 100 reviews! You guys know how to make a nobody feel like a somebody! I'm glad everyone loves a magic baby concept just as much as I do. Just remember though, life has its ups and downs. *runs and hides behind the couch***

* * *

Emma's body went rigid in response; the only movement that indicated she was still alive was the rise and fall of her chest.

"Emma?" Regina called out nervously.

The sheriff blinked slowly a couple of times before she managed to focus on the worried brunette before her.

"Are…are you sure?"

The mayor grabbed a few items from her purse before holding them out for the other woman to take. The blonde hesitantly took the white sticks and read each one, all giving the same result; positive.

"I can take another one if you don't believe me," Regina offered.

"No, that's not necessary," Emma responded before she jiggled the items in her hand. "I think five is enough to give a clear indication that you're…pregnant."

"You're upset," Regina surmised. "I thought this is what you wanted?"

The mayor's accusation seemed to rouse Emma from her trance-like state and she quickly pulled the shorter woman into her arms. "I'm sorry Regina, I'm just shocked really, but not upset. This is good news; great news!"

"Really?"

"Really," Emma answered before she embraced the mayor.

Regina nuzzled against the sheriff's collarbone and sighed. "I'm concerned that this might have repercussions."

"What do you mean?"

"This pregnancy is the result of magic and as you know…"

"All magic comes with a price," Emma finished for her. "Well if there's any price to pay, I'll gladly pay it."

"No!" the brunette growled as she slapped her hand down onto the sheriff's chest before she glared up at her. "Never say anything like that to me again!"

"Ouch, wow okay…what the hell was that for?" the sheriff scolded as she rubbed at her chest where the mayor had struck her.

"Paying the price could result in your death and I'm not going to lose you, not like I did Daniel," Regina clarified in an angered tone.

"Oh," Emma muttered, feeling suddenly stupid. "I'm sorry, I didn't think…"

"That's right, you didn't!" the mayor lashed out as she moved away from the younger woman. "You haven't the faintest clue as to how powerful our magic had to have been in order to create life. That kind of magic could only result in devastation."

"Stop, just stop it," Emma pleaded. "How do we know that the pregnancy itself isn't the price we're paying for using magic? The price can't always be a bad thing, can it?"

The mayor shook her head. "Not always."

"Can we focus on the fact that you are pregnant with my child; a feat that neither of us thought was possible."

Regina's hand drifted down to her abdomen as she flashed a watery smile. "I'm pregnant, Emma. I'm really pregnant with our child."

The sheriff marched the two steps needed to close the gap and scooped the mayor up into her arms as she spun her around in a circle. "I love you, Regina."

Emma heard the sharp gasp and she paused in her actions. "What's wrong?"

"That's the first time you said that you loved me," the brunette murmured.

"It is, isn't it?"

The mayor nodded before she threw her arms around Emma's neck. "I love you too."

They clung to each other for a few moments before the mayor loosened her grip. "Uh oh."

"Uh oh?" Emma repeated as she let the brunette slip from her arms. "What's uh oh?"

"I think you spun me a few too many times," Regina managed to say before she sprinted to the bathroom and slammed the door.

Emma cringed as she heard the mayor get sick before she pulled out her cell phone and called the family doctor's office. "Yes, I'd like to make an appointment for Regina Mills please."

* * *

Regina's legs bounced nervously as she waited for the doctor to return with the results while Emma paced in the cramped confines of the small exam room. After sending Henry off to school, the couple went to their appointment and the family doctor had several tests run after she admitted to having problems in the past and didn't think she could conceive.

A knock followed by the door opening revealed Dr. Darling, who they figured out was Wendy's father from Peter Pan, and he entered the room with a soft smile.

"Ms. Mills, I'm afraid I have good news and bad news," he stated as he looked between the two women. "The good news is that the damage you had spoken of doesn't appear to be a nuisance anymore. Your scans show that your uterus is healthy and there is no scar tissue preventing your abilities to conceive."

"That's great news!" Emma cheered as she held the brunette's hand.

"Yes, but I'm afraid with the good now comes the bad. You are pregnant Ms. Mills however, the hormone levels indicate that this is a non-viable pregnancy."

"What does that mean?" Regina asked, even though she had a feeling of what it indicated.

"It means something isn't developing right with the embryo and it has stopped growing. It could be anything really that causes this to occur, but this pregnancy will never go full term," The doctor explained. "I'm sorry, Ms. Mills, but you will miscarry; most likely any day now."

The sheriff felt the blood leave her hand as the mayor crushed it, but she didn't have the heart to say anything because she knew Regina was using her as a pillar of strength to not break down.

"Thank you, Dr. Darling," Regina responded in a cool voice. "May I ask how far along I am?"

The doctor looked down at the chart in his hands. "I would say four weeks, almost five. I can't give you a conclusive date due to the stop in growth."

Emma could see the brunette was doing the mental calculation of when she conceived. They both came to the silent conclusion that she got pregnant while they were in the Enchanted Forest.

Regina cleared her throat before she managed a smile. "Am I clear to go?"

"Yes, of course," Dr. Darling answered. "If you have any pain or complications from the miscarriage, immediately go to the hospital. You're only in the first month, so it will seem like a heavy menstrual cycle when it occurs. Please know that as difficult as this may be, you can always try again. There is nothing wrong with you that will prevent you from carrying a child to full term."

The mayor jumped off the table before she glared at the doctor. "Tell that to my non-viable embryo," she quipped before she stalked out of the room with tears streaming down her face.

"She's going to need a lot of support," Dr. Darling pointed out. "You need to make sure that she understands that she did nothing wrong. This actually occurs to more women than most people realize."

"Thanks doc," Emma replied before she left the room to go hunt down the distraught mayor.

* * *

Henry was confused when he arrived home to find his mothers in two different areas of the house. Dropping his school bag off in his bedroom, he noted that his parent's bedroom door was closed so he decided to venture downstairs. Following the noise, he found Emma slouched on the living room couch flipping through channels on the TV but not really paying attention to the images that flashed across the screen.

"Did you two have a fight?" Henry questioned as he sat down beside his blonde mother.

Emma flipped the television off before she turned to face her son. "It's a little more complicated than that."

"What's wrong?"

"There's no easy way to tell you this, kid," she started before she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Your mother is pregnant."

"Really?! I'm gonna get the sister I wanted?" Henry cheered enthusiastically, but his expression altered when he saw the tears collecting in his mother's eyes. "Why aren't you happy?"

"There's a problem with the…your mother…the pregnancy," Emma stuttered as she tried to find the right way to tell her son. With a deep sigh she collected herself and tried again. "Do you know what a miscarriage is?"

"Not really," Henry admitted.

"Okay well, when there is a problem with the baby growing inside a mother's tummy, the body gets rid of it because it will never grow and become a real baby. Does that make sense?"

"What's wrong with the baby?"

"It's not really a baby yet, it's actually this tiny little blob about the size of your pinky nail called an embryo," the sheriff explained as best as she could. "Look Henry, I'm no good at this, but I'm trying. Your mom is pregnant, but she won't be for much longer."

"So the embryo is damaged and my mom is going to have a miscarriage as a result of it?" Henry surmised.

"You're smarter than you look. You definitely get that from Regina," Emma praised.

"Can I go see her?"

"I think she'd like that," the sheriff responded before she guided her son out of the room and up the stairs.

The savior knocked on the door as she cracked it open. She spotted the brunette on the chaise with a blanket wrapped around her legs as she stared off absentmindedly.

"Henry wanted to see you," Emma explained when Regina finally acknowledged her.

Without invitation, the boy brushed past the sheriff and ran into the room. He quickly made his way to his mother's side, but just as he was about to wrap his arms around the older woman, he froze with a surprised look. "Are you in pain?"

The mayor shook her head in answer and that was all the reassurance the boy needed before he threw his arms around Regina's neck.

"It's okay Mom, you can always try again," Henry consoled as his mother broke down.

He held her as she cried while the savior looked on from the doorway. The sheriff could see the fright in her son's eyes as he rested his cheek against his dark-haired mother's shoulder. Emma figured the boy had probably never seen Regina shed more than a few tears before today, nonetheless break down and cry.

"All I need is you," the brunette confessed as she managed to quell her sobs. "My good boy."

"You got me," he replied before he pulled back to make eye contact with his mother. "You'll always have me, but that shouldn't stop you from having more. You always told me to keep trying so I'm telling you, don't give up."

"How did you become so wise?" The mayor pondered as she cupped his face between her hands.

"Ma says I get it from you," Henry answered proudly.

Regina gave a half smile to Emma before she kissed Henry's forehead. "Go do your homework. We'll order a pizza for dinner tonight."

"Okay," Henry replied before he kissed his mother's cheek. "I love you."

"Love you more," the mayor responded before their son left the room.

Emma made her way over to the chaise and she carefully seated herself by Regina's legs. "Are you still mad at me?"

"I was never mad at you," the brunette scoffed. "I'm mad at myself."

"You didn't do anything wrong," the sheriff explained. "This happens to a lot of women."

"Oh, is that so?" Regina challenged as she crossed her arms defensively. "And who are all these women that you know of that this has happened to, huh? Where are they, Emma?"

"You're looking at one," the blonde confessed.

"Excuse me?"

"I had a miscarriage before I had Henry," Emma revealed. "I was sixteen and stupid. I got knocked up and ended up miscarrying somewhere in the first trimester. I never saw a doctor so I didn't know how far along I really was, but I figured I had to be in my 2nd or 3rd month."

"Why are you telling me this?" the mayor questioned as she felt her anger deflate.

"You know damn well why I'm telling you this!" the blonde hissed. "I know it sucks and circumstances are different, but I still had Henry after I had a miscarriage."

The savior tugged at the brunette's crossed arms and broke them apart before she took the mayor's hands and kissed each knuckle. "We will try again, but I'm not going to force it. If it happens, it happens. I just don't want to see this beautiful woman before me spiral into a depression over this."

"I'm trying Emma, to stay strong. I really am."

"I know Regina, I know," Emma murmured before she pulled the saddened woman into her lap and held her.

* * *

"Emma!"

The blonde woman leapt from the bed at the sound of her name being called before she paused to get her bearings from jumping awake so quickly. Looking around, she noted the light that illuminated from under the bathroom door and she sucked in a sharp breath at knowing what it most likely indicated. Slowly entering the bathroom, she allowed her eyes to adjust to the harsh light before she focused on the brunette that was seated on the toilet.

"Regina?"

The brunette stiffened her spine at hearing her name before she affixed a thick pad to her underwear and stood up. Replacing her pants, she straightened her silk pajamas before she waved a hand towards the porcelain bowl.

"I thought you should see for yourself that I miscarried," Regina indicated with a icy tone. "Wouldn't want you to think I lied to you."

Emma wordlessly watched as the mayor walked confidently over to the sink and scrubbed her hands. She swallowed against the lump that had formed in her throat as she fought to gain control of her emotions as she waited to see what the mayor's next move would be.

Towel drying her hands, Regina left the bathroom without a second glance at the younger woman or the evidence that her body had left behind.

As gross as it seemed, Emma couldn't help but look down into the bowl as she depressed the handle and flushed away what could've been their future child. With Regina out of the room, she allowed a few tears to escaped before she went to the sink and splashed water on her face.

Entering their bedroom, the sheriff saw that the mayor had returned to bed with her back facing towards Emma. Taking a deep cleansing breath, she turned off the bathroom light before she made her way into the darkened room and slipped under the covers.

"Is it taken care of?" Regina questioned in a clipped tone.

"I took care of it," Emma answered.

"Good," the brunette replied without turning to face the sheriff. "Goodnight, Miss Swan."

Emma knew Regina was only reacting the way she had her entire life. She was an expert at shutting off emotions and throwing up walls, but the sheriff refused to let her withdraw into her safety net. If she didn't break through now, she risked the chance of losing a part of Regina forever.

Roughly grabbing the brunette's shoulder, Emma twisted the stunned woman to face her.

"No, you don't get to shut down on me tonight," the blonde lectured. "We both lost a part of us tonight, not just you. I won't let you shut me out! I refuse to lose you too!"

Emma observed the various emotions that washed over the brunette's face before her bottom lip started to quiver while her eyes swam with tears.

"She would've had my eyes and your smile," Regina whispered out in a shaky voice. "I...I lost our baby, Emma!"

The savior quickly enveloped the older woman into her arms as hard sobs wracked her body. Tears leaked from the sheriff's eyes and she softly cried along with her queen as they mourned the loss of their future child.

* * *

**AN: *peeks out from behind the couch* I know you all hate me right now, but it was needed to round out their story. I promise, there is happiness coming.  
**

**On a serious note, a non-viable pregnancy is a real word, a word that I know intimately. To anyone who has suffered the turmoil of a miscarriage like I have, there is never a right word or gesture to make it better. Just know that you are loved and one day, out of the darkness there will come light. **


	15. Chapter 15

**AN: Wow! Thank you for the reviews I received on the last chapter. As a writer you hope to make a profound impact on the readers and I think I might have accomplished that. You make me smile :) On another note, a new character is being introduced. Her name is Deputy Locke and her fairytale character is Merida from Brave. She's a minor character, as this is centered around Regina and Emma, but you're welcome to imagine your own tale for her :)  
**

**Happy reading :)**

* * *

_One month later..._

"Regina, I'm home!" Emma called out as she entered the manor.

The brunette rounded the corner with a smile before she grabbed her jacket from the hall closet. "I take it your new deputy is covering for you?"

"Yeah," the blonde answered as she helped Regina put her coat on. "I think Deputy Locke is going to work out just fine."

"Did you figure out what her original identity was from the other land?"

"Well, the flaming red hair had it narrowed down to two people, but her accent was a dead giveaway that she was the chick from Brave," Emma answered with a chuckle before she furrowed her brow. "By the way, where are we doing today that was so important that it required me to only work a half day?"

"You'll see," the mayor responded before she headed out the front door with a confused sheriff in tow.

After a ten minute drive, Regina rolled her car up to the town cemetery and parked before she wordlessly got out of the vehicle.

"Are we going to your father's grave?" Emma asked as she followed the mayor along the familiar route.

"Yes, but we're also going to bury the past," Regina added. "It's time to let it all go."

"I'm afraid I'm not following you."

The older woman flashed a half grin before she clasped the savior's hand. "It's best if I show you instead of trying to explain myself."

Hand in hand, they walked along the unmarked trail that passed by various tombstones until they reached her father's mausoleum and entered. Emma stood to the side as she watched the former queen kiss her gloved hand and touch her father's casket before she pushed on it's side and moved it.

"Holy shit! You actually have a secret lair!" Emma cursed in shock when she gazed upon the hidden staircase.

Regina rolled her eyes before she trudged down the exposed steps as she called out over her shoulder, "Come along, darling."

The sheriff hesitantly followed behind the mayor and paused on the bottom step when the brunette's worried face turned to gaze at her.

"What I'm about to show you, I've never willingly shown to another living soul. You need to understand that I was truly an evil person, right down to the bitter core," Regina confessed.

"You've changed though, Regina, and that's gotta count for something."

"I hope you still feel that way when we are finished here today," the brunette countered as she escorted the sheriff over to a wall that contained hundreds of little boxes. The shorter woman chanced a peek at the blonde to see her reaction as she realized what was before her.

"Are these…hearts?" Emma questioned as she heard the soft percussion sounding from the wall.

"Yes, they are."

"There are so many," the sheriff mumbled as she glanced over them. "Can they be returned?"

Regina nodded. "That was my plan, but I will need your help."

"Are all of these people still here?"

"Yes. None of these people left town."

"What do we do, I mean, how do we go about this?" Emma questioned in a mix of concern and wonder.

"We'll return to this task after we take care of the rest," Regina answered before she tugged the blonde along behind her.

The mayor led the savior to another room that held chests and trinkets in several slots along the walls. She let the sheriff inspect all of the items, minus the chest on the bottom shelf that held her venomous pets, before she pulled Emma back to her side. Regina's magic was stronger, but it worked best when she had contact with Emma. Taking the blonde's hand into her own, she felt the rush of power course through her body before she swept her free hand across the room and turned everything into piles of dust. Once the room was emptied of its contents, she led the younger woman over to a mirror before she opened the hidden room's door.

Emma hesitantly entered the secret room and noted that the decor felt like an extension of the house that they lived in.

"Good God," the blonde muttered as she strode over to a displayed dress in the corner. "Is this one of your evil queen outfits?!"

"Yes," Regina answered before she sidled up beside the sheriff. "I kept a few of my favorites."

"You are not getting rid of these," Emma ordered. "At least, not until I've seen you in every single one of them."

The mayor chuckled before she waved her hand, making all the items disappear from the room. "They're safe and sound in our closet back home. Happy now?"

"I will be when you wear them," the younger woman responded with a cheeky grin.

"You're incorrigible," the brunette scoffed.

The sheriff shrugged in answer before she followed the mayor out of the room and down a hall where they reached a set of doors. Regina paused as she took a deep breath and steadied herself.

"This is the last thing I must take care of before we deal with the hearts," the brunette murmured as she pushed open the doors and entered the small room.

Emma gasped when she saw the handsome man lying before her in a glass coffin.

"This is Daniel," Regina introduced before she made the lid of the casket vanish in a puff of purple smoke.

"How is he still…you know," Emma pushed as she waved her hand in gesture. "Alive looking?"

"It was the first spell I ever cast by myself. It's a preservation spell," Regina explained as she straightened his jacket and brushed his hair off his face. "Everything I went through for him and it was all a mirage."

"No, that's not true," the savior responded as she gazed upon the stable boy. "You loved him with all of your heart and a piece of you still does."

"But he's not my true love," the brunette whispered in response.

"That doesn't mean anything. You're allowed to love more than one person. Once upon a time I did love Henry's father, like I'm sure you loved Daniel, and no matter how much he betrayed me, a small part of me still loves him and probably always will."

"I see your point, Emma, but you must understand something," The mayor started as she looked upon Daniel's face. "Those hearts in the other room, the hardships I've caused your parents, the lives I've destroyed and the people I've killed…it all started with him."

"Then all of that hate that you've held onto for so long should end with him as well," Emma advised while she wrapped an arm around the brunette's slender waist. "Let it all go, Regina."

The older woman allowed a few tears to escape before she leaned over Daniel's prone form and softly kissed his forehead. "Goodbye, Daniel."

The sheriff kept her hold on the mayor as Regina waved her hand slowly over the deceased man and his glass coffin. They watched with mixed emotions as Daniel slowly disintegrated into a pile of dust before the particles swirled up towards the ceiling in a small funnel and disappeared for good. A choked sob sounded from the brunette before she twisted around and buried her face into the younger woman's chest. Emma held Regina as cried over her first love as she finally let him go.

After some time, the brunette stepped back and wiped at her tear-streaked face. Her shoulders straightened and the sheriff could visibly see a burden of weight lift from the mayor's shoulders. Interlacing their fingers, the shorter woman towed Emma alongside of her as they returned to the wall of hearts.

"So, what's the plan? Door to door Jehovah Heart Witnesses?" Emma teased as she gazed upon the golden chests.

"Actually, that's not such a bad idea," Regina agreed to a shocked savior.

"I was kidding! Wouldn't it be easier to magic these over to your office and then send out letters to these people to visit the mayor or something?"

"Seeing these people now will get this done much quicker and it'll be less time for me to dwell upon it," Regina explained as she flashed pleading eyes to the sheriff. "Emma, the whole point of this escapade was so that I could move on; that we could all move on."

Emma sighed dramatically. "Fine…let's get this over with before Henry gets out of school."

"I already arranged for Miss Lucas to pick him up and take him for the evening," the brunette indicated. "I figured this might be an all-day quest, but if we're quick about it, there could be some allotted time for me to put on one of my dresses before Henry returns home."

The sheriff's eyes immediately darkened as she licked her lips in anticipation. "What are you waiting for, woman?! There are people to see, hearts to return, lairs to seal, and dresses to put on. Let's go!"

"So gullible," Regina chided with a smirk as she pulled out the first box.

* * *

The savior rested haphazardly across their bed while Regina was sprawled out over her bare chest. Several dresses and other articles of clothing were strewn about the master bedroom as the two women tried to bring their heart rates down to a more normal rhythm.

"That was incredible," Emma rasped out between ragged breaths.

"That's an understatement," Regina purred as she stretched her aching limbs out. "You have exquisite stamina. It challenges me in a way that nobody has ever accomplished before."

"I'll take that as a compliment," the sheriff murmured as she eyed the slowly dissipating cloud that swirled along the ceiling. "I'm glad we remembered to close the curtains because I'm sure Deputy Locke would've been getting several calls about mysterious magical voodoo coming from the mayor's house," Emma joked.

"Well if that were the case, it's a good thing the sheriff lives here as well."

Emma chuckled before she ran her fingers through dampened locks of ebony hair while she gazed down upon the beautiful woman on top of her. "We haven't had magic like that happen since the Enchanted Forest."

"I know," the mayor responded in a small voice.

"Do you think…," Emma started to ask but she couldn't finish the statement. Regina however, understood what she was implying.

"I don't know. We'll have to wait and see," the older woman offered before she looked to the clock on the end table. "Henry's going to be home in about twenty minutes. We should shower and make ourselves presentable before he gets dropped off by Miss Lucas."

Emma huffed as she wiggled out from under the brunette and sat up. A smile ghosted upon her lips as she reached down and picked up a red bundle of crushed velvet material by her feet. "This has got to be my favorite one, well this and the blue one just like it."

"You're lucky magic can fix them after the animalistic damage you caused upon them," Regina lectured as she took the rumpled dress from the sheriff. "Honestly, a gryphon would've been more gentle."

"I couldn't help it, my queen," the younger woman purred before she stood up. "You have no idea how hot you are in those dresses."

"On the contrary, dear," Regina countered as she leered at the blonde. "I'm well aware of how seductive I could be in those outfits. How else was I to get my way with certain matters in the kingdom? I did what I had to and _who_ I had to in order to achieve what I desired."

"Do I even wanna know how many people you've slept with?"

"Probably not," the mayor answered before she got to her feet. "Seduction was a powerful weapon for a woman in my world."

"Well, I can't hold it against you because that would be the pot calling the kettle black," the savior confessed. "Except I didn't have sexy dresses to do it with. I just had my charm and my wits."

"Oh, I don't know about that. I'm pretty sure there are three cocktail dresses in the back of our closet that belong to you," Regina pointed out before she playfully swatted Emma's backside. "Next time we have a little rendezvous, _you _will wear the dresses."

"But I hate wearing dresses," Emma whined while she shadowed behind the laughing brunette as they entered the bathroom.

* * *

It was a typical Wednesday afternoon when Emma decided to mix things up and go to Granny's a few minutes earlier than her usual twelve o'clock time. She quickly took a seat at the counter before she waved Ruby over to her side.

"You're here early," Ruby noted as she leaned on the counter across from the sheriff.

"I need to confide in you with an issue that I'm having that involves a certain mayor," Emma confessed.

Ruby's face split into a wide grin as she leaned closer. "Confide away."

The savior looked around the room nervously before she leaned forward and whispered into the waitress's ear. Ruby listened intently as her smile grew bigger before Emma sat back and sighed.

"So, do you think it'll work?"

"Trust me Emma, she'll be dazzled," the waitress indicated.

"I hope so," the sheriff responded as she fidgeted on her bar stool. "I just want her to see it for what it is and not as some ploy for me to tie her down."

"Emma," Ruby started as she reached across the counter and took the savior's hand. "This time will be different because this time it'll be her decision and believe me, she'll say yes."

"So, you're alright with watching Henry and helping me out?"

"Of course!" Ruby responded.

The door to the diner swung open and the waitress quickly retrieved her hand before she flashed a bright smile to the incoming customer.

"Good afternoon, Mayor Mills," Ruby greeted a little to cheerily.

Emma turned in her seat and grinned before she stood up. "Hey Regina. I got here sooner than I expected so me and Rubes were just catching up."

The mayor's eyes glinted at the slender waitress before she looked to the sheriff with a hint of jealousy. "I'm sure that is all you two were doing. Miss Lucas, the usual please."

"Right away," Ruby responded before she quickly retreated to the back room.

Emma shook her head at the waitress's nervous antics before she escorted the mayor over to their usual table. Searching the chestnut orbs across from her, the blonde reached over and boldly caressed the other woman's cheek. "You know you have nothing to be jealous of, right?"

Momentarily stunned by Emma's public display of affection, Regina's brain finally registered what the sheriff had indicated and scoffed. "I assure you, Miss Swan, I am not jealous."

"The fact that you just called me Miss Swan says otherwise," the fair-haired woman challenged. "You have no reason to fear me leaving you, Regina. I'm not going anywhere."

"Everyone leaves me. If you recall, even my own son did at one point," the mayor countered with a sad tone.

"Regina," Emma started as she cupped the brunette's hand with her own. "I promise you, I'm not going anywhere. Besides, what kind of true lover would I be if I ditched you?"

"I suppose you have a point," the older woman clipped before she straightened her posture and smiled. "So, what would you like to do this weekend?"

"Well, I actually have something planned for just the two of us on Saturday. Ruby is going to babysit Henry," Emma confessed before she lowered her voice. "That's what I was talking to her about when you walked in."

Regina arched a perfectly sculpted brow. "Oh? And what is this event that you have planned for us?"

"It's a surprise," the blonde stated with a wink. "All you need to do is get dressed up in something pretty and be ready to go at five."

"Are you taking me out on a date, Sheriff Swan?"

"Why yes I am, Madame Mayor," Emma answered. "Is that alright with you?"

"I've never had a surprise date before," Regina admitted as a soft blush tainted her olive-toned cheeks. "I look forward to it."

Emma managed to flash a confident smile to the brunette as she discreetly slipped her hands beneath the table and wiped her sweaty palms against her pant legs. She internally prayed to any God that would listen that Saturday wouldn't turn into a complete disaster.


	16. Chapter 16

**AN: I forgot to mention that this has now become my longest worded story that is posted here on this site and it's nowhere near being done! To me this has become my little story that could. I'm proud of it, considering I have no beta and proofread all of my own stuff a hundred times over and usually I'm still not satisfied, but I'll post it anyway because someone, somewhere has possibly been touched by reading this story and that's what keeps me motivated. **

**This chapter is pure fluff and happiness...as promised :)**

* * *

Heels descended upon each step as Regina sauntered down the main stairwell and entered the foyer area where a black-suited sheriff awaited anxiously. Emma flicked her tongue nervously over her suddenly dry lips as she noted that Regina's shoulder-length hair was fixed in soft wisps while it gently framed her face like an ebony halo. Wondering how her own hair was holding up, she quickly tapped her braided sides to make sure that they were still intact before they fell over her shoulders in soft spiraled waves with the rest of her golden hair.

"You look absolutely gorgeous," Emma complimented as Regina approached her while her eyes traveled over the fitted black cocktail dress that adorned the brunette.

"Thank you," Regina murmured before she reached out and trailed her fingers lovingly over the black tie that rested against the crisp white shirt that the sheriff sported. "I must confess, I never thought a man's two-piece suit would look so incredible on you. I think I prefer this over the cocktail dresses."

"In that case, I would gladly wear a suit every day for you if I didn't have to wear a dress ever again," Emma teased.

"Let's just keep the suits to special occasions, shall we," the mayor replied. "Speaking of special occasions, where are going this evening?"

"First stop is Tony's Restaurant for dinner," The sheriff informed. "I know how much you like your Italian food."

"And afterwards?"

Emma grinned ruefully. "That's for me to know and you to wait and find out, my queen."

* * *

The full moon shone brightly overhead as the two women leisurely walked hand in hand along the graveled path that looped through the gardens of the town park. The night was warm, but a cool breeze gave a small bite to the air and Emma happily draped her blazer over the mayor's shoulders. The gesture of blanketing the older woman in her jacket gave the sheriff a sense of ownership, as if the black tailored fabric was a beacon of warning to any suitor that should happen upon them that Regina was taken. Of course, Emma would never verbally tell that to the mayor lest she wanted to be strung up by her neck in a nearby tree by the very same blazer.

"Dinner was lovely," Regina commented as she roused her companion from her thoughts.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," Emma responded with a soft smile before they continued on in silence.

Following the path that led them out of the gardens and onto the outer park loop, they followed the trail until it made a sharp bend and climbed over a small knoll. A lone willow tree about fifty yards away suddenly came into view and Emma felt Regina pull up short before she gasped.

"Emma," the brunette whispered out in surprise as she gazed upon the tree.

White lanterns and stringed lights were laced throughout the lower branches of the weeping tree, giving off an ambient radiance that seemed to make the entire tree glow in a soft white hue, while a blanket with decorative pillows and a wicker basket was set up underneath it. The natural weeping branches hung low as they surrounded the makeshift picnic scene, giving the illusion of seclusion and intimacy. The savior's face was plastered with a cheesy grin as she mentally thanked Ruby for the amazing job she had done with the help of Henry, no doubt.

Threading her fingers through the brunette's, Emma guided her over to the tree before she cautiously glanced at the woman beside her. The savior couldn't help but feel mesmerized by the reflection of the twinkling lights in Regina's teary dark eyes and she thought, _I could easily fall into those black pools of fate and willingly drown in them with a smile upon my face._ She basked in the beauty that naturally oozed from the brunette for a few moments more before she took a cleansing breath and assisted Regina over to the blanket to take a seat. Once the mayor was settled, Emma plopped down beside her and flashed a lopsided grin.

"I feel like Sebastian should be here singing Kiss the Girl," Emma joked before she pulled out two wine glasses and a bottle of Merlot from the provided basket.

"Who is Sebastian?"

"Never mind," Emma answered before she handed a half-filled wine glass over to the brunette. "To happiness."

"To happiness," the mayor repeated as she clanked her glass with Emma's and took a small sip of her wine. "I must admit, I didn't think you had it in you to pull something like this off. This is very romantic of you, my knight."

"Oh, I'm just getting started," the younger woman indicated with a rueful smirk.

Regina arched an eyebrow. "Should I be concerned with what might entail after this?"

"That all depends on you, Madame Mayor."

Regina knitted her brows at Emma's remark as she fully didn't understand what the blonde meant by it, but instead of grilling the younger woman for details, the mayor chose to ignore her obsessive need for facts as she set her jaw and flashed a smile at the jubilant sheriff.

* * *

The couple spent about an hour under the glowing canopy as they made small talk about their son and the town when Emma looked down at her wristwatch and growled, "Crap." before she discarded her empty wine glass and abruptly stood up.

"Is something the matter?" Regina questioned as she looked up at the other woman in alert.

"No, no, it's just...stay here; I'll be right back," the blonde stammered out before she disappeared out into the darkness of the night.

The mayor sat speechless for a moment before she felt the need to do something with her indolent hands. After dumping out her glass of unfinished wine, she decided to pack up the glasses and unfinished bottle of Merlot into the basket, but it didn't sate her need to consume time while she waited for the sheriff to return. Unused to sitting idly by while placing her trust into someone else's possession, Regina started to nervously fiddle with the hem of her dress as she struggled against the urge to defy the blonde's request and go after her.

"Follow me," Emma instructed as she suddenly reappeared before she assisted the startled brunette to her feet and took her smaller hand into her own.

Regina willingly followed the blonde out from under the tree's protective cocoon as she held tightly onto Emma's hand. The younger woman escorted her along the darkened path until they reached the tree line that bordered the south edge of the park. Concern etched the shorter woman's face as she peered into the pitch black forest that stood before them.

"Please tell me you are not serious?" Regina scolded as she realized the other woman's indication. "I'm wearing heels and we can't see a thing!"

"Try to have a little faith in me," Emma countered before she let go of the mayor's hand and stepped forward.

Raising both arms, she shook out her hands before she cracked her neck and focused on the woods before her. The mayor was about to voice her protest when a soft glow caught her attention and she froze. Her jaw slightly unhinged in shock as she witnessed an illuminated yellow path suddenly appear upon the forest floor, trailing into the thick woods further than the eye could see. If that wasn't enough, Regina also observed twinkling lights trickle into view before they loomed over the path. She realized in amazement that they were fireflies, hovering about twelve feet over the glowing trail to provide added light and atmosphere.

Emma beamed in accomplishment when she completed her work before she turned back to the stunned mayor and bowed.

"My queen," she murmured before she once again took Regina's hand into her grasp and guided her into the lit up forest.

"You've been holding out on me," the mayor lectured in a teasing tone before she soothingly gripped the sheriff's upper arm with her free hand and pulled her closer.

Emma's eyes twinkled with mischief as she glanced over at the other woman and grinned. "I may have been practicing my magic in secret, but seeing your expression a few moments ago made it all worth it."

"Tell me Sheriff Swan, does this magical path have an end to it?"

"Yes, but don't ask me where because I won't give you the answer," Emma responded with a smirk.

Regina lightly scoffed before she accepted the unknown destination from the only person she would trust with her life. The brunette snuggled closer to the taller woman as they strolled down the brightened path with the fireflies tagging along above them. It took a good ten minutes before they reached the edge of the woods and the mayor was once again flabbergasted as she took in the picturesque scene before her.

The lit up path continued out of the trees as it traveled through the grassy opening and down to a wooden pier along the waterfront that was glowing in a soft shades of violet hues. The moonlight glimmered off the ocean to give a dazzling effect while white rose petals appeared out of thin air before they lazily floated down like snowflakes upon the dock. The fireflies left their side to form a makeshift canopy over the enchanted pier and the brunette carefully extracted herself from the sheriff before she took a step toward the captivating scene ahead of her. Emma watched the mayor warily as she made her way down the blazed trail and onto the dock before her breath caught in her throat as she thought to herself that she had never seen anything more beautiful than the image before her as Regina stood upon the lavender-hued pier with white rose petals falling softly upon her. The mayor looked up at the blonde with the most genuine expression as her russet eyes brimmed with moisture. Emma imagined that this is what Regina would've looked like before Daniel was murdered and her innocence was stolen.

Making her way towards the love of her life, the savior enveloped the shorter woman into her arms before she leaned down and captured her lips in a soft kiss. Regina clung to her as the sheriff's borrowed blazer fell from her shoulders and fluttered to the ground in a rumpled heap. They slowly separated and Emma retrieved her discarded jacket before she wrapped it around the mayor once more. A sharp intake of breath was heard from Regina when she witnessed the savior drop to one knee before her and she realized, with a mixture of fear and excitement, what Emma's intentions were.

Reaching into her pants pocket, the younger woman pulled out a tiny black box and popped it open before she held it out in front of her. She watched the older woman's actions as one hand went to her stomach and the other to her mouth; a clear indication that the brunette was genuinely flabbergasted.

"I know your last marriage was forced and unpleasant, possibly altering how you feel about the institution of marriage permanently. But tonight, right now…this is completely your decision. I don't want you to feel obligated or coerced into saying yes, but I promise you with every beat of my heart, if you do agree to marry me, I will make sure you never regret the decision. I will love you until the end of time, my queen," Emma rehearsed as she offered a nervous smile. "Regina Mills, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

The sheriff remained on bended knee as she watched the emotions play out across Regina's face. Their relationship was still new, yet at the same time it wasn't. Being true lovers was like finding the other half of your soul and that was something Emma was counting on to make the decision for the hard-headed mayor.

Several excruciating minutes ticked by before the brunette hesitantly lowered her left hand and held it out to the kneeling woman as she gently bobbed her head up and down.

"Is that a yes?" Emma questioned as she needed to verbally hear the commitment.

"It's a yes," Regina answered before she felt her body being lifted up into strong arms.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," Emma rapidly repeated as she gently spun the brunette in a half circle before she set her back down.

Quivering hands pulled out the platinum ring before she gently slipped it onto Regina's finger. The mayor took a moment to admire the rounded diamond that glinted in the provided light before she beamed a smile at the savior.

"It caught my eye in the store and the clerk told me it was the true love edition, so I figured it was fate," Emma chuckled before she frowned. "I'm sorry it's not a top of the line ring, but I can buy a bigger and better one if you like, it's just gonna take some tim..."

"Stop. I appreciate it's simplicity, Emma. It's perfect and beautiful," the mayor complimented before she wrapped her arms around the taller woman's neck. "Everything about tonight was beautiful."

"Anything for you," Emma murmured before she leaned down and captured the brunette's lips with her own.

* * *

It was close to eleven o'clock by the time the engaged couple returned home and changed into more comfortable clothes. They had just settled down together on the couch in the living room with a roaring fire when the doorbell suddenly chimed. With a frustrated huff at having to get up from her comfy position, the blonde disentangled herself from the mayor and made her way to the door only to find Ruby and Henry on the other side.

"Since when do you use the doorbell, kid?" Emma questioned as she allowed her son and the waitress into the house.

"Ruby said it was the polite thing to do in case you and Mom were busy," Henry answered, not noticing the dark blush that suddenly appeared on his blonde mother's face.

"So, how did it go?" Ruby probed as her eyes glinted with anticipation.

Emma offered a shrug in response as she escorted her son and Ruby out of the foyer and towards the living room.

"Oh, come on!" the brunette whined. "You can't hold this back from me! Especially since I went through all that trouble of setting up that romantic picnic scene for you!"

Emma just chuckled in answer as the three of them entered the living room where Regina waited with a smile by the mantle before she turned to her son.

"Henry, how was your night with Miss Lucas?" the mayor questioned as her son eagerly bounded over to her.

The boy's eyes snapped to his mother's left hand and his face nearly split in two with the grin he flashed before he launched himself into his mother's arms.

"You said yes!" He cried out as he hugged Regina tightly.

Ruby offered the sheriff a cheeky grin before she patted Emma on the back. "Congratulations, Em!"

"Thanks," the savior replied. "And thank you for helping me with this night and babysitting Henry. I couldn't have done it without you."

"No biggie, Em. Besides, it was all worth it," the waitress replied. "I'm gonna head home. Let me know if you need any help planning the wedding."

"Thank you, Miss Lucas," Regina spoke up as she held Henry against her side.

"I think it's high time you started to call me Ruby...and you're welcome," the waitress responded with a wink.

Regina smiled warmly at the other brunette. "Goodnight, Ruby."

Emma escorted Ruby to the front door and the waitress paused before she crossed the threshold.

"I've known Regina a long time and I have never seen her so light and carefree. That woman in the other room is the very image I used to conjure up when Snow would talk of the young Regina that saved her from her runaway horse. I mean she's practically glowing! You really do bring out the best in her," Ruby complimented before she placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "Promise me you won't ever break her heart."

Emma was taken aback by Ruby's defensiveness for the former evil queen before she recovered and stated, "I promise you Rubes, I'll never do anything to hurt her."

"Good," she responded as she patted Emma's shoulder. "Because if you do, she'll never allow happiness into her heart ever again and if that were to happen, I'm afraid the Evil Queen would be the least of our worries."

"I know," the sheriff agreed. "Goodnight, Ruby."

"Goodnight."

The sheriff watched the waitress go before she locked up and headed back into the living room. She paused when she saw her two loved ones sitting on the couch talking animatedly to each other as they discussed the evening's events. Henry was the first to take note of Emma's presence and he launched himself off the couch and into his blonde mother's arms.

"Mom told me about your night and how awesome it was and I'm just so happy that I get to have both of you forever!" Henry cheered with starry eyes while Emma held him close.

"So I take it you're happy?" the sheriff teased as she looked down at the boy.

"Of course I am!" He replied before he lowered his voice. "You gave my mom her happily ever after."

Emma didn't know how to respond to her son's statement, so she just squeezed him a little tighter in hopes that it would express her gratitude before she pulled back.

"It is way past your bedtime, young man," Regina pointed out. "Go get ready for bed and we'll be up in a minute to tuck you in."

"Okay Mom. Love you both!" Henry responded before he took off out of the living room and up the stairs.

"No running in the house, kid!" Emma shouted after him and a muffled 'sorry' was heard in response.

The mayor strolled over to the younger woman and trailed her hands up the sheriff's arms before she rested them around the taller woman's neck.

"Listen to you scolding our son," Regina murmured with a half smirk and raised brow. "Does this mean I get to play the good mother for a while?"

"You always were the good mother," Emma corrected in a tone that gave no room for argument.

"If you say so, dear," the brunette retaliated before she offered a warm smile. "Out of curiosity, what are we to do about our last names?"

"Don't play coy with me, Madame Mayor," Emma lectured. "I know you been secretly testing that out for some time now and you already have that answer."

"You think you know me so well," the shorter woman chastised. "Let's test that theory, shall we? Tell me, Miss Swan, what name did I choose?"

Emma leaned forward, bringing their lips within a breath from each other. She heard the hitch in the other woman's throat and she couldn't help but smile at the reaction she had caused.

"Swan-Mills," Emma replied in a soft whisper before she closed the distance and kissed the mayor with fervor.

Regina broke away from the blonde after a few seconds and narrowed her eyes. "That was a just a well-placed guess."

"Maybe, maybe not," the blonde teased before she leaned down to kiss her fiancé again.

Just as their lips were about to touch, their son interrupted it by calling down for them that he was ready to be tucked in. Regina chuckled as she withdrew from the younger woman and turned to leave the room.

"Our son has impeccable timing," Emma whined as she followed the brunette out of the living room and towards the stairs. "I sometimes think he does it on purpose."

"If that were the case, can you imagine the conspiracy that two of them could create," Regina playfully warned before she bit her lower lip in anger at what she had just stated out loud.

"Oh God, I didn't even think about that," the sheriff replied before her brain caught up to what the other woman had indicated and she quickly reached out and grabbed Regina's arm to stop her. "Wait, are you?"

The mayor wrinkled her brow in pretend confusion before she shook her head and frowned. "No, I'm not pregnant. I was just making a point."

"Are you sure? I mean it's been about a month since the magic thingy happened again…are you really sure?"

Regina swallowed before she hesitantly nodded. "Yeah…yes Emma, I'm sure."

The mayor watched the disappointment flash across the savior's face before she masked it over with a fake smile as she let go of Regina's arm.

"Let's go tuck our son in," the sheriff muttered before she quickly made her around the brunette and up the stairs.

Regina watched the retreating blonde disappear into their son's room before she released the breath that she had been holding. Looking down, she gently placed her newly-ringed left hand over her abdomen and gave it a soft pat before she moved it away and started up the stairs to join her family.


	17. Chapter 17

**AN: Thank you once again for the reviews, favorites, and follows! Keep them coming :)**

* * *

Emma tapped her fingers against the table as her unfocused glare stared at the newspaper in front of her. Her almost full cup of coffee was cold as she seemed to have forgotten all about it. Ruby had been keeping an eye on the distracted sheriff until she finally huffed in frustration and approached her table with a fresh cup of coffee.

"Did you and Regina have a fight?" Ruby accused as she switched out Emma's coffee for the fresh one.

The savior startled at the waitress's presence before she slumped her shoulders and sighed. "No Ruby, we didn't have a fight."

"Well then what's going on in that blonde head of yours? You have been sitting here moping for a good twenty minutes now."

Emma glanced at her wristwatch and growled. "Damn it! I didn't realize that much time had passed."

The brunette took a seat across from the sheriff and flashed a concerned look. "What's going on with you?"

"I think…I think Regina is having second thoughts about getting married," she confessed.

"What?! Why would you think such a thing?"

Emma shrugged. "I don't know. She's just been distant lately. I mean, I know it's been hard to see each other the past few weeks with the crazy night hours I've been working to cover for Deputy Locke, but when I have seen her she just seems…withdrawn."

"Now that you mention it, she has seemed a little off kilter lately when she comes in here," Ruby expressed. "She's even slipped back to calling me Miss Lucas."

"Yeah, I've gotten the Miss Swan tag a few times now when I've tried to push her for answers," Emma replied. "I don't know what to do or what I'm doing wrong."

"Hey," Ruby murmured as she reached across the table and gripped the blonde's hand. "You didn't do anything wrong. She's been through a lot of shit in her life and I think it's going to take some time for her to adjust to the fact that she is loved and that this isn't some ploy to take advantage of her."

"Oh God, do you really think she thinks I'm only marrying her just to gain some upper hand on her or to entrap her or something?!"

"Emma, you know her life story more than anybody else. Now take a minute and ask yourself, do you really think that's the issue?"

The sheriff thought about how her fiancé had been the past few weeks and her actions. After a minute she shook her head.

"Alright then," Ruby responded before she stood back up. "Give her the benefit of the doubt. She's still adjusting to having you in her life, but I can almost guarantee you that when she's ready to let you in on what's really bothering her, she'll tell you."

The sheriff nodded before she also stood up and patted the brunette's shoulder. "It's been hard with Mary Margaret not being here so thanks Ruby, for being the friend that I need right now."

"Likewise," Ruby replied. "I'd kick her ass if I saw her right now, you know, for leaving us."

"Just between you and me," Emma stated in a lowered voice. "I was going to go after them."

"How?"

"Jefferson's hat," the sheriff confessed before she sighed. "I had a moment of weakness and I went to his house to use it, but the house was empty with no sign of Jefferson or Grace. I bet you more than anything he took his daughter and left town after he helped out with the wardrobe."

"Makes sense as to why I haven't seen him or his daughter around town lately," Ruby pointed out. "I guess that means there really is no way to the Enchanted Forest, or anywhere for that matter."

"My parents made their choice," Emma indicated as she fished out her ringing cell phone. "Hello?...What!...I'm on my way."

"Is something wrong?" Ruby questioned as she noted the worried expression on the sheriff's face.

"Dr. Whale just told me Regina's at the hospital," Emma answered. "He said she's fine, but to head over there. Can you keep an eye on Henry when school lets out?"

"Sure, no problem," Ruby volunteered.

"Thanks. I'll call as soon as I know something," the blonde indicated before she tossed a few bills on the table and ran out of the diner.

Flipping on the lights and siren, Emma made it to the hospital in record time before she parked the patrol car haphazardly in a spot and ran into the building. A nurse directed her to the fourth floor and she took the steps two at a time before she burst through the doors and searched for Whale.

"Sheriff Swan," Dr. Whale called out as he saw the frantic woman enter the wing.

"What's going on?" Emma demanded as she approached him. "Where is she?"

"As her emergency contact, I felt it was only fair to call you here since it involves you too, but you must understand that this went completely against her wishes. She doesn't know I contacted you."

The sheriff narrowed her eyes as she crossed her arms. "Tell me what happened."

"Mayor Mills passed out earlier today and her secretary Abigail called for an ambulance. Regina woke up on the ride over here and with some persuasion from the paramedics, she allowed us to check her over," he explained. "She is receiving fluids right now, but I'm afraid she is going to need to be extremely careful and you'll need to make sure she takes better care of herself."

"Why? Is she sick?"

The doctor's eyes widened as he realized Emma didn't know about her fiancé's condition. "She didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what? What the hell is going on, Whale?!" Emma demanded as she threw her arms up in the air.

He cleared his throat as he pointed to a nearby closed door. "Regina is in there. I think it's best that she be the one to tell you and then we can go from there. Have the nurse page me after you two have um…talked."

The sheriff was baffled as the doctor walked away from her, leaving her with more questions than answers floating around in her head. As she made her way towards the door that led to Regina, everything about the past few weeks and the way she had been acting became clear that whatever caused her to come to the hospital in the first place was probably the culprit behind her fiancé's shady attitude. She felt the worry be replaced with an old familiar flame of anger towards the mayor and she wretched open the door before she purposely marched inside. She only made it three steps into the room when all the anger immediately dissipated as she caught the mayor with her hand on her stomach while a rapid pitter-patter sound echoed from the machine beside the bed.

"Emma," Regina gasped out in surprise as she quickly removed her hand from her abdomen. "What are you doi…Dr. Whale called you, didn't he?"

The sheriff could only offer a slow nod in response as she remained completely still while she tried to comprehend what she was witnessing. "Is that sound…is that what I think it is?"

Regina looked up to the monitor and smiled before she turned back to Emma and nodded. "It's your baby's heartbeat."

"You're pregnant," Emma clarified. "H-how long?"

"Eleven weeks."

"No. I mean, how long have you known?"

Regina ducked her head in shame. "I've known for some time."

"Be more specific, Regina," the younger woman snapped.

"The day before you proposed to me," the mayor confessed as she kept her head down.

The savior closed her eyes and took a cleansing breath before she focused her gaze upon the dark-haired woman. She thought about the conversation she just had with Ruby in the diner and she let out a frustrated sigh before she went to the mayor's side and carefully sat down on the edge of the bed.

"You can't keep these kinds of things from me," Emma chastised as she tapped a finger under the mayor's chin to get her to look up. "You're not alone anymore and I will never leave you."

Watery russet orbs gazed upon the sheriff before the flood gates opened and tears streamed down the mayor's face. "Emma, I'm sorry."

The younger woman immediately embraced the sobbing woman as she smoothed her hand down the short, dark hair. "It's okay Regina, just don't do it again. We're in this together."

Emma pulled back and wiped the tears from the mayor's face. She noticed the numbers on Regina's heart monitor had accelerated and she gave a worried look to the brunette. "You need to relax; the stress you're feeling right now isn't good for the baby."

The sheriff noted the immediate change in the older woman's demeanor before she saw the numbers on the monitor slowly drop to a normal rhythm.

"I am sorry, Emma, for keeping this from you," Regina apologized. "I just didn't want you to be hurt if I miscarried again. The thought of seeing that devastation once again cross your face…it would've broken my heart."

The savior kissed her fiancé before she swiped at her own tears. "As sweet as that is, I'd rather go through the loss together then let you bear it all alone."

The two women rested their foreheads together as Regina brought the sheriff's hand gently to her stomach. Another tear escaped the savior's eye at the gesture and she beamed with happiness before she whispered, "You're really pregnant…with my child."

"Amazing, isn't it? And that heartbeat," the brunette pointed out as she paused to listen to the rapid thumping. "Dr. Whale said he has a very strong heart."

"He?"

"Or she," Regina teased. "It'll be some time before we know."

"Hearing it reminds me of when I heard Henry's heartbeat for the first time, except I was more focused on what to do with him than embracing the experience of motherhood."

"I've never heard any of my unborn children's heartbeats…until now," the mayor confessed. "It's the most precious sound I've ever heard."

Emma felt her heart break at being reminded of the sorrow her fiancé had endured. She cupped Regina's face to silently convey her love for her and the dark-haired woman smiled to let the sheriff know that her message was received. They listened for a few minutes to the rapid rhythm of the growing life's heartbeat before the blonde reluctantly sighed.

"I should probably have Dr. Whale paged so he can discuss whatever the hell it is he wants to discuss with us."

"It's about my blood pressure," Regina indicated and Emma raised an eyebrow. "It was low when they brought me in."

"Anything else you want to tell me?"

"No, that's all I have for now."

"Are you sure?"

Regina rolled her eyes. "Yes, I'm sure."

Emma got up from the bed and headed for the door, but she paused to look back at her fiancé and smirked. "Now I know why you demanded to have the wedding next month."

Regina blushed as she unconsciously rubbed her stomach, careful to avoid the monitor that was wrapped around her. "I'm sorry I was rude these past few weeks. I tend to push people away and build up walls when I know imminent heartbreak is about to occur."

"It's a coping mechanism; I get that," Emma indicated before she grinned. "But this time you were wrong."

"And I couldn't be happier about that misjudgment," the brunette mused.

"By the way, enjoy the time while you can to call me Miss Swan because in a few weeks, it'll be Mrs. Swan-Mills," Emma lectured with a smile before she left the room.

* * *

After getting her part-time deputies to cover the rest of her shift, Emma took Regina home and got her settled on the couch. Dr. Whale had given them a stern warning that since Regina was prone to miscarry and that she could have complications from the low blood pressure, she was required to stay hydrated and not be on her feet for more than a few hours spaced out throughout the day. Emma had expected the stubborn mayor to argue about the restrictions, but to her utter surprise, Regina relented and asked to go home in place of returning to work.

A quick call to Ruby had the waitress practically squealing as she rattled her congrats to the still shell-shocked sheriff. Henry was dropped off an hour later and he ran to his brunette mother's side and gently hugged her. Ruby had only informed him that she was at the hospital and that she was okay, but nothing could deter him from thinking it wasn't something major until he saw his mother for himself. Now that he was in her presence, he felt much better that she didn't look sick.

"Why were you hospitalized?" Henry inquired.

"Apparently I need to drink a lot more water than I expected," Regina answered with an amused grin. "This is all new for me and I probably should've consulted with your mother for answers."

Henry's confused face resembled Emma's and Regina couldn't help but chuckle. "You look like your mother when you do that."

"Do what?"

"Crinkle your forehead like that," the mayor expressed as she tapped a finger gently to his brow.

Emma noted how her son's back went rigid at being accused of something as his confused expression turned to a scowl. Laughing, she sat down next to him on the couch and playfully jabbed his shoulder.

"Now that is definitely your mom's expression and not mine," Emma pointed out as her son arched an eyebrow, causing Emma to laugh even harder. "Oh God, he can even do your intimidating eyebrow."

"Ma!" Henry scoffed as he crossed his arms and glared. "Stop picking on me and tell me what's going on!"

"We're sorry, Henry," Regina apologized before she kissed her brooding son's cheek.

"In all seriousness, your mother needs to take it easy for the next seven months," Emma explained.

"What happens in seven months?"

"We become a family of four," Regina confessed.

The two women watched as realization dawned on their son before a Cheshire worthy grin spread across his face.

"Seriously?! And this baby is healthy?"

Emma saw Regina's expression falter slightly before she plastered the smile back on.

"This baby will be just fine, Henry."

"I'm gonna be a big brother!" Henry cheered before he kissed both of his mother's cheeks and ran off through the house like a crazed lunatic. "I knew it! I'm gonna have a sister and I'm gonna be the best big brother ever!"

Emma and Regina allowed him to run around the house and they laughed at his antics as he appeared and disappeared from room to room screaming the same few sentences over and over again until he finally ran back into the living room and collapsed to the ground, rolling onto his back as he heavily panted for air.

"You alright, kid?" Emma asked as she looked over in concern.

"Fine Ma, I just need a minute to catch my breath."

The blonde chuckled as she scooted next to Regina and pulled her against her side. She noted that the brunette's hand was once again placed on her abdomen and she kissed the mayor's temple.

"You still can't believe it, can you?" the savior indicated as she placed her hand over Regina's hand.

"After everything and the failed attempts…I'm still trying to come to terms with the idea that this life growing inside me might actually survive to see the light of day."

"Wrong choice of wording, Mom," Henry corrected as he remained on the floor. "You meant to say that this life growing inside of you _will_ survive to see the light of the day. Besides, you shouldn't be cynical about the outcome. As I have stated before, good always wins and my future sister is good."

Emma felt her jaw drop at her son's mature choice of words before she gestured a hand out towards him. "Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the indisputable evidence that this child is in fact somehow biologically mine and Regina's. I rest my case."

"And soon there will be two of us," Henry added with a mischievous glint to his eyes before he cackled like a mad scientist.

"Sweetie, if you're going to do a malicious laugh, it has to come from the chest and be more carefree…like this," Regina explained before her infamous evil queen laugh echoed throughout the living room.

Henry sat up in awe as Emma felt a shiver run down her spine.

"Do it again!" Henry crooned.

The mayor flashed a wicked grin before she sat up straighter and let out another carefree cackle. Henry attempted to repeat it and Regina waved him over to her side before she flattened her palm against his chest.

"Laugh from here," she explained and the boy tried again, this time sounding very much like an omen child and downright evil. "Good job, Henry!"

Mother and son shared a smile before they looked to the quiet woman beside them.

"I'm afraid we've rendered her speechless," the brunette indicated as she pulled Henry to lean back against her legs before she rested her chin on his shoulder. "That or we've actually frightened her."

"You realize you just taught our son how to do the Evil Queen laugh," Emma lectured as she looked between the two.

"Indeed I did," the mayor purred.

The sheriff shook her head before she wiggled her finger at both of them. "It's disturbing how alike you two are."

"But you love us anyway," Henry added.

"More than you know, kid," Emma responded. "But I'm still locking myself in the guest room tonight with a cross and holy water."

"Then I shall destroy the guest room door," Henry stated in a theatrical voice. "If it is the last thing I do."

"That's it," Emma shouted before she scooped up her son and threw him over her shoulder. "I'm taking him to a priest."

Regina bellowed out in laughter as Henry giggled from over his mother's back.

"Put me down, Ma!" Henry chuckled out.

"You're right; I should put you down," Emma agreed before she carefully dropped him to the floor. "It's the best way to extract demons!" she declared before her fingers dug into her son's ribs and he howled in laughter. "Be gone demon!" the sheriff bellowed out as she continued to relentlessly tickle her son.

Henry cried out in choked laughter before he managed to break loose from Emma and he took off running with his blonde mother hot on his heels. Regina watched them with an amused grin as they ran from room to room before they disappeared up the stairs. She settled more comfortably into the sofa before her hand found its way back to her stomach as she rubbed soothing circles over it. Peals of laughter echoed down from the upper level of the house and she chuckled at her family's antics as she realized she was truly happy for the first time in her life.


	18. Chapter 18

**AN: So close...almost my top favorited story! Thank you for the all the continued love! **

* * *

_Wedding day._

"Mom! We're going to be late!" Henry shouted up the stairs as he bounced on his heels in the foyer. "Dr. Hopper is getting anxious!"

"I'm right here, Henry, there is no need to shout," Regina chided as she stepped out of her room and rounded the staircase. "Besides, a queen is never late."

"You mean a _former _queen that is about to become a princess," Henry pointed out with a rueful smirk.

The brunette paused on the staircase and scoffed. "My goodness, you're absolutely right. Although, my father was a prince so theoretically I was born a princess, but that is a story for another time."

Henry laughed before he held his hand out to help his mother down the last few steps. "You look pretty, Mom. Emma's gonna freak out when she sees you."

"Why thank you, sweetie. And you look downright dashing in that tuxedo," she complimented as she brushed his hair off his forehead. "Your lavender bow-tie and cummerbund match my bouquet perfectly."

Archie stepped into the foyer and sighed in relief when he saw the mayor. "Oh thank goodness you're ready. We're going to be late if we don't leave now. Chop, chop, Madame Mayor, we must leave at once!"

"Funny, I could've sworn you were the cricket and not the white rabbit," the brunette teased.

"I'm glad to see you have a sense of humor, Regina, but Emma will have my hide if I don't get you there on time," Dr. Hopper pressed as he escorted the dark-haired woman out of the house and into the limo he had parked in the driveway.

Once she was settled in the back of the vehicle with her son, Archie quickly scrambled into the driver's seat and turned over the engine. With the privacy window down, she watched him with an amused grin as he dabbed the beads of sweat along his forehead before he pulled out of the driveway.

"You would think he was the one getting married today," Regina mused as she observed the frazzled psychiatrist.

"It's because Emma threatened to make grasshopper soup outta him if he didn't get you to the alter on time," Henry explained under his breath so only his mother could hear him.

"And they called me evil," the mayor responded as she shared a laugh with her son.

* * *

It was an easy choice to agree on an outdoor wedding since the weather was still warm and sunny. They decided to have it in the public gardens on one condition; that Regina's apple tree was somewhere in the scenery. Emma happily fulfilled that wish for her fiancé by magically transporting her beloved apple tree to the garden as the backdrop behind the latticed arch that would serve as their alter.

Granny got ordained and was going to marry the two as she stood up front with a smile. Emma was surprised by the turn out as there were at least fifty people attending. Deputy Locke, Ruby, and the mayor's secretary Abigail made up Regina's bridesmaids as Henry, Archie, and August made up Emma's ushers.

The golden-hair woman appeared cool and collected on the outside, but inside she was a complete wreck. It was bad enough that her parents weren't going to be there and she felt slightly deprived that she wouldn't have the opportunity to be walked down the aisle by her father. She knew she wasn't a bridal-type girl, fanning over satin dresses and color-coordinated decorations, but she was still a woman with dreams of her father handing her off to the person she loved. Once she came to terms with the absence of David and the change to her childhood wedding plans, Emma jumped at the chance to play the masculine role and she happily donned a tuxedo to match her son and her ushers.

Even though Henry was Emma's best man, he asked his brunette mother to have the responsibility of walking her down the aisle. Regina's response to Henry's request was a polite yes until her pregnancy hormones kicked in about ten minutes later, causing her to track the boy down before she burst into tears and smothered her startled son in a tight embrace as she stroked his hair while repeatedly saying that she wasn't worthy of his love. Emma had to rescue him from his unusually distraught mother before she explained to him that his unborn sibling was going make Regina a little more emotional than what they were used to. Little did they realize how often that would occur over the days leading up to the wedding and Emma silently hoped for the sake of Regina's sanity at the risk of public humiliation that the hormones would remain relatively stable for the rest of the day.

Emma sighed in relief when she saw Archie quickly making his way over before he took his place.

"Just in time," the blonde teased the psychiatrist as she heard the quartet start to play the soft chords of the music they chose for the bridal march.

Everybody stood up and turned as the mayor approached the lilac-bordered aisle that lead to the anxious savior. Emma felt her breath hitch as her eyes roved over the beautiful creature that was attached to her son's arm. The renaissance-styled dress was white and ivory with a lace-back corset and long flowing sleeves, designed to match a dress that Regina favored back in the Enchanted Forest. Emma noted that the brunette made her hair waist length and her sides were done up in a twist of braids where small white flowers intricately weaved through them. Her make-up was light and innocent, making her appear almost ten years her youth.

Henry kissed his mom's cheek and he placed her hand into Emma's before he took his place behind his blonde mother as her best man. The mayor smiled as her eyes glistened and the sheriff could feel her heart racing in her chest.

"We are gathered here today to unite these two women in matrimony," Granny bellowed out.

* * *

The wedding went without a hitch and everyone easily transitioned to the reception, which was held under a huge tent in the park. The party was well into its fourth hour and Emma could tell that Regina was tiring as they danced together to another slow song with the mayor's head resting comfortably against the blonde's shoulder.

"You doing alright?" the savior asked as she swayed the other woman to the soft music.

"Perfectly content, Mrs. Swan-Mills," Regina murmured.

"Hmm, that's going to take some getting used to," the younger woman confessed before she looked to the silver ring that now adorned her left hand. "So is the fact that I'm married now, legally no less thanks to Maine passing the bill. I never thought in a million years that I would ever agree to marriage."

The brunette lifted her head to face the other woman. "Are you having doubts?"

"Never," Emma replied before she nuzzled the mayor's neck. "You bring out the best in me."

"I couldn't agree more," Regina teased before she bluntly stated, "I love you."

"I love you too...my wife," the sheriff responded as she cuddled closer to the smaller woman. "Do you still plan to make the big announcement tonight or would you like to hold off a little while longer?"

"I suppose we should. I'm going to start showing soon, so we might as well inform them before they speculate crazy idealizations of me cheating on you with the town's most eligible bachelor."

Emma chuckled before she planted a kiss to Regina's temple. "This town does love its rumors. I'm impressed Ruby has been able to keep this knowledge to herself the past couple of weeks, although, I must admit I'm grateful that we had the wedding sooner rather then later because I don't think she would've lasted much longer."

"I'm just grateful for the date change for the simple fact that had we held this wedding fifteen days from now as we had originally planned, this dress would've needed a major adjustment," Regina murmured. "It barely fits now as it is."

"I think you look absolutely stunning today, Gina. Pregnancy really suits you," Emma complimented, causing the brunette to blush before she returned her head to rest upon Emma's shoulder.

When the song finished, the newlyweds made their way to the head table at the front of the room before Emma clanked her fork against her champagne glass.

"I have an important announcement to make," Emma stated as she got the attention of the milling crowd. "As all of you are aware, magic does exist here in Storybrooke as it did back in the Enchanted Forest. Along with the knowledge of magic, most of you know the old worn out saying that all magic comes with a price. I believe Gold holds the patent for that quote."

Everyone chuckled and nodded in agreement.

"However, what Mr. Gold didn't tell you was that the price isn't always such a bad thing. Sometimes the price of magic is something good and positive and unexpected. As most of you know, I have magic and so does Regina. Not only do we both possess magic, but we are also a true love pairing. This kind of arrangement has never happened before and with that mystery comes the possibility of great miracles."

Emma looked down at her wife and smiled. "Love is the most powerful magic of all and because of that, Regina and I paid the price and created a small miracle of our own."

"Good Lord, are you trying to say that one of you is pregnant?" Granny piped up.

"Yes Granny, that is exactly what I'm saying," Emma agreed before she beamed a wide grin. "Regina is pregnant with my child."

The room fell silent and the couple shifted nervously as they waited for the crowd's reaction to the news. The women's emotions ranged from bad to good and how to respond accordingly when suddenly the unexpected happened as the whole room erupted into applause and cheers before they quickly surrounded the stunned brides and expressed their salutations.

Granny helped Regina to her feet before she hugged the surprised brunette. "I knew there was something different about you. Honey, you're glowing brighter than a neon sign in a brothel's window."

Regina belted out in laughter before she hugged Granny back. "Thank you, for everything."

"I know you've put us through the ringer and back, but we've all come a long way; you especially. If you need anything, you just let me know and I will help out in any way I can," Granny offered as she patted the mayor's cheek. "Congratulations."

"Thank you," Regina replied in a meek voice before she greeted the other well-wishers that were standing by.

* * *

"Emma Swan-Mills, put me down this instant!"

The sheriff chuckled at her blushing bride as she held her in her arms and carried her over the manor's threshold. Ruby and Granny had taken Henry for the night, leaving the newlyweds with some much needed alone time for their wedding night.

"It's tradition," Emma argued before she carefully set her wife back on her feet. Regina was about to complain, but the room tilted sideways before she was caught up by strong arms. "Whoa Gina, are you alright?"

The mayor inhaled deeply through her nose before she released it out of her mouth in a slow, long breath. Within seconds she felt her equilibrium right itself. "I'm fine, dear, it's just a dizzy spell. And don't think I haven't noticed that you are starting to get into the habit of calling me Gina."

Emma opened her mouth to protest, but slender fingers pressed against her lips, ceasing her from talking. "Before you start arguing your case, let me just jump ahead and tell you that it's fine. I kind of like the idea of having a moniker only privy to you."

The blonde kissed Regina's fingertips before the mayor removed them and smiled.

"How about we get you upstairs and ready for bed? You look exhausted," Emma suggested.

"But it's our wedding night," the brunette whined before she stuck her bottom lip out in an uncharacteristic pout.

"I know, but it's not like we haven't slept together. Besides, the whole point of the wedding night is to procreate and guess what? You're already knocked up."

"Thankful for that colorful interpretation as to why you don't want to consummate our marriage," Regina clipped in a suddenly harsh tone.

"Aw Gina, that's not what I meant," Emma reasoned. "I don't want you to think you have to perform for me just because it's traditional."

"Did you not just carry me over the threshold because it was 'traditional'?" Regina countered as she made quotation marks in the air.

"That's different. You have a life growing inside of you; making you have sex with me tonight would be irresponsible of me when I can clearly see that you're exhausted," the sheriff indicated as she stepped in front of the mayor. "We have the rest of our lives to make love."

Pleading chocolate orbs gazed up at the taller woman and she knew Regina would get whatever she wanted just from that look alone.

"Please? Let me do this," the brunette begged before she added in a rich tone. "I'm old fashioned, remember?"

The sheriff rolled her eyes and sighed. "It's downright sinful the hold you have over me when you speak in that deep voice and flash those damn bedroom eyes my way."

"I never said I would play fair," Regina warned with a deviant smirk. "Come along, my white knight. We have traditions to attend to."

Emma growled playfully as she grabbed the mayor's face and kissed her with fervor. Passion overloaded Regina's senses as she slid her hands up the sheriff's chest and knotted her fingers around the tuxedo's lapels before she pulled, forcing Emma impossibly closer as she deepened the kiss. A moan slipped from the mayor's throat before she broke the kiss with a gasp.

"Uh oh," Regina rasped out in a husky tone. "I'm afraid you've caused my pregnancy hormones to kick in."

"Is...that a...good thing...or bad thing?" Emma asked in between kisses that she peppered along Regina's jawline.

"You tell me," the brunette answered before she drew back enough to lock eyes with her wife.

Emma inhaled sharply as she took in the dilated black orbs that stared back at her, reminding her of a great white shark that was about to go on a feeding frenzy.

"Both; definitely both," the savior breathed out as she felt her body respond to her wife's lustful gaze.

"Take me upstairs," the mayor purred seductively and the blonde practically tripped over her own two feet as she took Regina's hand and quickly, but carefully guided her up the steps and into their room.


	19. Chapter 19

**AN: Remember all that fluffy goodness I gave you the past few chapters...yeah? Okay, good. *runs and hides behind singed couch***

* * *

Emma lounged in the driver's seat of her cruiser as her fingers spun her wedding band in a newly unconscious habit. Even though its only been a week, she expected a drastic change to come to their relationship the minute they left the alter, but Emma found no difference to their lives, with or without the silver band of ownership she now adorned. If she didn't know any better, she would say life was quite perfect for her and her family.

A maroon car suddenly flew past the sheriff and Emma growled as she turned over the engine and flipped the lights and siren on. She followed the vehicle for about a mile until they veered off the road and parked. She pulled the cruiser in behind them and cautiously made her way to the driver's window. She couldn't hide the shock when she recognized the person behind the wheel.

"Well if it isn't District Attorney Albert Spencer," Emma quipped as she placed her hands on her hips. "May I ask where the fire is that you felt the need to do 60mph through a 35mph zone?"

"Actually Sheriff Swan, the name is King George and I am late for an important meeting," the older gentleman sneered.

"Well excuse me, _Your Majesty_, but this is a small town in Maine and not a goddamn palace in the Enchanted Forest. If you're unhappy here, than you should've went through the portal when you had the chance."

"I lost my castle to your imprudent father and now I lost my position here as well."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"The Mayor had me fired yesterday," Albert clarified. "Apparently now that she fights the good fight, my less than acceptable ways are no longer of use to her and therefore, are no longer permissible in her town."

"Well if that's the case, what meeting are you supposedly late to if you don't have a job anymore?"

"Are you not married to the mayor?" he questioned with a raised brow.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"My meeting is with her and a few members of the board to discuss my termination. By your lack of knowledge, I take it your work life is kept separate from your home life," the king pointed out.

"That's none of your goddamn business," Emma snapped as she quickly wrote up a ticket and handed it to him.

"You're absolutely right, it isn't my business, but let me give you a piece of advice; family is everything, Sheriff. Without them, you are nothing."

Emma leaned down and glared. "Are you threatening my family?"

"Just a page from a lesson that I learned long ago thanks to your parents. Now if we're done here, I need to get going."

"Have a nice day," Emma responded through clenched teeth before she stalked back to her cruiser.

Watching Albert pull away, the savior let out a frustrated breath and quipped, "I hate that I can't arrest people for being a dick."

Turning the vehicle around, the sheriff headed back to her hide out and waited for the next unsuspecting speeder to pass her way. Parking the car, she thought about what Albert had said and it nagged at her, sending warning signals to her brain.

They didn't share every minute detail about their work days, but she knew enough to keep her in the loop of the mayor's day and she could've swore Regina had told her earlier in the week that today was a late day for her. As far as she knew, her wife should've been heading into work a few minutes ago, not an hour or so ago according to Mr. Spencer.

Suddenly her radio crackled to life in the silent car, causing her to jump in her seat.

"Sheriff Swan, do you copy?" The deputy called over the radio.

"What's the problem, Locke?"

"There's been a vehicular accident on 4th and Main. The driver who caused it fled the scene and the other driver is critical. Fire and Rescue is on scene."

Emma sighed as she started the cruiser and flipped the lights and siren on before racing down the road. "I'm in route. Do you have any info on either of the drivers?"

The radio remained silent and the sheriff growled before she depressed the radio button. "Locke, did you copy me?"

The radio crackled before Emma heard Locke transmit, "It's the mayor, Sheriff…your wife's car has been hit by an unknown driver."

The handheld device dropped from her grip as her foot smashed the gas pedal to the floor. She made it to the scene in a matter of minutes and she barely got the car into park before she stumbled from the vehicle. A choked sob tore from her throat when she took in the mangled mess that was once her wife's beloved Mercedes. Firefighters had already cut away the crushed door and paramedics were in the process of loading her onto the flat board. As Emma ran over, she could hear Regina screaming out for her as she struggled against the restraints.

"You need to calm down, Ma'am," A paramedic stressed as he tried to keep her still.

"Emma! Where's Emma?!" the mayor cried out.

"I'm here! I'm right here, Regina," the sheriff responded as she reached her wife's side.

Emma held tightly to her wife's hand as she stood beside the gurney and she couldn't help the tears that slipped out as she took in the smaller woman's bloody, beaten form. A neck brace and back board held her in place while blood-soaked gauze pads were stuck in various places, including the mayor's forehead.

"The baby," Regina mumbled out almost incoherently.

"Are you family?" A medic asked.

"I'm her wife," Emma answered before she leaned toward the medic and lowered her voice. "She's pregnant."

"How far along?"

"Fourteen…fourteen weeks," Emma stammered.

"We're going to take good care of her. Are you riding with us?"

Emma felt the grip on her hand tighten and she smiled reassuringly to the mayor. "Yeah, I'll have my deputy take care of things here."

Pulling out her cell phone with her free hand, she quickly dialed the station and heard Locke pick up.

"Come down here and take over the scene," she ordered as she looked back towards the crushed vehicles. The savior immediately recognized the maroon vehicle that had impacted her wife's car and she felt her whole body vibrate with rage. "Call in Smith and Bremerton. Have them search for Albert Spencer. He's the one who crashed into my wife and I have a feeling it was intentional. I want that asshole locked up!"

"Emma?"

The sheriff snapped her phone shut and pocketed it before she reached down and touched the dark-haired woman's cheek. "I'm right here, Gina."

"So tired," the brunette muttered as her eyes slipped shut.

"Regina? Regina!"

"She probably just passed out," The paramedic reassured her as they loaded Regina into the ambulance before he turned to the driver and spoke in a low voice. "Get to the hospital as quickly as possible. We're losing her."

They made it to the hospital in record time and Emma followed along as they rushed Regina into the trauma unit. Dr. Whale along with a few other doctors and nurses quickly surrounded the mayor as the sheriff was moved to the side. She heard the paramedic fill them in as they accessed her situation, throwing out medical jargon that made no sense to her. Within minutes, they had Regina wheeled out and away, leaving Dr. Whale to hold the sheriff back.

"Where she is going? What's happening?" Emma questioned.

"They're taking her to get a CT scan and then to the OR for surgery. She has a head wound that we're hoping isn't more serious than it looks and a possible punctured lung from a cracked rib. The scans should confirm the damage and we'll do everything we can to save her."

"Oh God…what about the baby?"

"From what we could briefly tell, the fetus is stable, but I'm going to be blunt with you; there's a chance that the stress Regina's body is undergoing could cause a sudden miscarriage. Knowing her history, this is a very real possibility, but we will do everything we can to hopefully prevent that from happening," he explained before he patted Emma's shoulder. "There's nothing you can do now but wait. I'll be down to inform you when we know something more."

The blonde was only able to nod in response before the doctor left her standing alone in the hallway. Her mind was numb and somehow her legs carried her to a chair and she slumped down into it before she completely broke down.

* * *

Emma paced the floor of the waiting room while Ruby, Archie, August, Henry, and Granny sat in the nearby chairs. Henry was held against Ruby's side as he observed his golden-haired mother slowly fall apart as minutes turned into hours with no word about his other mother's condition. Four hours had passed before Dr. Whale finally approached the waiting group with news.

"She's critical, but stable," Dr. Whale offered. "The damaged lung was repaired and her fractured arm was set and placed in a cast. The concern is her head injury. It caused swelling in her brain, so we had to put her in a medically-induced coma."

"And the baby?" Emma asked with trepidation.

"For the time being the fetus appears healthy, but that could always change. We are keeping a close watch them both and we'll make the necessary adjustments if need be, but for now we just need to keep her brain swelling down. The next twenty-four hours are very critical. You need to prepare yourself."

"Can I see her?"

"Of course. She's in ICU so only you and your son can visit her," Dr. Whale explained.

Henry ran to Emma's side as the rest of the group stood up to leave.

"Let us know if you need anything," Granny murmured before she hugged the sheriff. "And keep us updated."

"I will," Emma responded as she gave a brief hug to everyone and took her son's hand. "Let's go see your Mom."

They followed Dr. Whale to the Intensive Care Unit where he escorted them to Regina's room before he took his leave. Emma bit her bottom lip as she took in the small frame of her wife in the big bed with tubes and monitors sticking out everywhere. She felt Henry's head bury into her side and she quickly knelt down to wrap her arms around him. She listened to the sobs coming from her little boy's throat and it broke her heart as she tried to keep it together from all of them.

"It's okay, Henry, she's gonna be just fine. Your mom is a fighter and stubborn as hell so she'll pull through this, you'll see," Emma murmured.

"I've never seen her so…weak," Henry confessed as he straightened up and wiped his face. "I'm sorry."

"You have no reason to be sorry, kid. We're all allowed to cry, it's what makes us human," Emma indicated before she stood up and led him over to the bed.

"Why is her heart beating so fast?" He questioned as he listened to the rapid patter coming from the monitor.

"That's not her heart, kid; that's your baby brother or sister's heart."

Henry's eyes widened in awe before he gave a half smile. "She's going to be okay."

Emma leaned over and kissed her wife's brow before she gently rubbed Regina's stomach. "They're both going to be just fine."

The savior watched her son nod in agreement before he turned back to his injured mother. A frown etched across Emma's face as she took in her wife's condition for the first time and saw how serious it really was.

_You have to survive, Regina. I don't know what would happen if I ever lost you._ Emma thought as she moved to taking her wife's hand into her own.


	20. Chapter 20

**AN: As always, LOVE the reviews and private messages! Also thank you for the favs and follows. Remember, darkness comes before the light and I think it's high time we saw a different side to Emma. (hint, hint) Also, a little nod to the X-Files.  
**

* * *

Three weeks came and went as Regina remained in her medically-induced coma. Her body was healing exceptionally fast, but her brain still remained critical due to the swelling that seemed to take its grand old time to reduce enough to wake the mayor back up. Unfortunately, a lot of that had to due with the steroids that they could only administer in small doses because of her pregnancy.

Emma rarely left Regina's side, choosing instead to stay close by as she babbled about anything that came to mind as she desperately hoped her wife and unborn child could hear her and continue to fight. When the days turned into weeks, Emma's health and well being steadily declined. Dark circles permanently marred her eyes and her skin seemed sallow. She was impossibly thinner as she ingested coffee as her only means of sustenance, with the occasional meals forced upon her under the duress of Granny. Even her care for her son slowly ebbed into the background as she barely acknowledged his presence when he would visit the hospital before Ruby would pick him up and take him home with her for the night.

The only thing that made Emma less sullen was her unborn child. She was fascinated by how Regina's belly had gone from a tiny bump to a soft swell. The nurses told her the baby was doing fine and the rapidly beeping monitor reassured her that he or she was a fighter, just like their mother.

Albert Spencer was arrested two days after the car accident, but he spewed out the most venomous tale to the judge who in turn lessened the charges. The judge ordered him to serve a minor sentence of five days in jail and twenty weeks on probation. He was also ordered to pay for the repair work to Regina's car and the street sign that got damaged during the accident. It was one of a few times the the sheriff had left the hospital and it took everything in her not to shoot Spencer on the spot when they left the courthouse.

Alarms suddenly sounded as the monitors went crazy before nurses and doctors rushed into the room. Emma jumped up from her seat in surprise as she watched the team of medical professionals lower her wife's bed and rip open her gown. The sight of paddles being placed on Regina's chest before they shocked her heart caused the savior to cry out in distress. A nurse, as if just realizing she was still in the room, quickly grabbed her and dragged her out into the hallway as she heard the paddles being used again and the flat line that still followed.

"Let me go!" Emma screamed as she fought against the nurse before more people appeared to hold her back.

The three nurses and two interns barely contained the enraged savior as she fought against them to return to her wife's side. Another shock was heard and all the fight suddenly left the savior's body as she gratefully heard the returned rhythm of her wife's weakened heart. The hospital staff released their hold as she slid down onto her knees in an almost praying pose.

Dr. Whale came out of the room and knelt down beside the distraught sheriff with a sympathetic smile as he gripped her shoulder.

"We got her back, Emma," Whale explained. "I'm afraid there might be permanent damage from this and she may not be the same person as she was before, but we won't know that until she wakes up."

"And t-the…baby?" Emma hiccuped as she tried to quell her tears.

"The heart rate dropped when Regina went into cardiac arrest and it hasn't returned to normal yet. Her OB/GYN is being contacted to monitor the situation."

"But he or she's okay...they'll both survive this, right?"

"We'll watch Regina closely for the next twenty-four hours. If her heart stops again, then we'll have to run more tests to see if there's something small or hidden that we've missed. It could even be a small brain bleed, but the best thing we can do for now is wait it out," Whale explained before he dropped his head and sighed. "As far as the baby, I'm going to be honest with you, Emma. There's only about a fifteen percent chance of the fetus surviving through the night and if Regina has another episode, she will miscarry. I'm so sorry."

Like a delicate piece of uncooked pasta, Emma's will had been bent until it finally snapped. She had struggled to remain in control since the accident had occurred and the trial took place, but now; now she understood how fine the line was between good and evil.

The surrounding hospital staff helped her to her feet before they stepped back cautiously, waiting for the sheriff to cry, to yell, to do something, but instead they watched in surprise as Emma straightened her posture and walked wordlessly into Regina's room, only to stroll out a few seconds later while she slipped her leather jacket on over her shoulders.

"I'm trusting you to take care of her. Don't disappoint me, Whale," Emma stated in a cool, calculated voice.

"O-of course," he stammered out before he watched the sheriff walk down the hall and disappear around the corner.

"What was that all about?" A nurse questioned as Whale stood staring at the spot he last saw the savior.

"Call Deputy Locke," he ordered. "Tell her they need to find Albert Spencer and hide him."

"Excuse me?"

The doctor turned sharp eyes onto the nurse. "You heard me! Now call Deputy Locke before Sheriff Swan-Mills does something she'll come to regret."

The nurse ran off as Whale pulled out his cell phone and scrolled through his contacts until he saw Ruby's name and pressed the call button.

"Ruby, it's Dr. Whale. Listen, you need to find Emma and talk her out of doing whatever it is she's planning on doing," he carefully explained before he lowered his voice. "The woman who just left this hospital looked nothing like the sheriff we know and everything like the evil queen we remember, except this time, the evil queen isn't Regina; it's the blonde savior who is carrying a loaded pistol."

* * *

Three days came and went and no one could find Emma or Albert Spencer. Locke managed to recruit almost twenty volunteers to help locate either of them, but so far no evidence had turned up or offered them a direction in which to look. August, Granny, and Ruby were taking turns caring for Henry while they took shifts to help locate the missing sheriff. Ruby had used her wolf side to try to sniff her out on that first day after Whale had contacted her, but she discovered that Emma had cloaked herself using magic. Since then it had been impossible to find any trace of her or Spencer, which worried everyone because that could only mean one thing; Emma had King George in her possession.

Being the hero in training he had always been, Henry had hoped that he could figure out the location and find his blonde mother before she became evil herself, something he feared would happen if they didn't find her soon. He couldn't afford to have his mother's playing in reversed roles, especially with a sibling on the way. He believed in true love and knew his dark-haired mother would be the only one who would be able to stop Emma from hurting or killing Spencer, but she was still in a coma.

"Dr. Whale, you have to wake up my mom. She is the only one who can save Emma!" Henry begged for the hundredth time. "You said her swelling went down and that she's doing really well. You even said the episode she had was a fluke."

"Henry, we don't know what your mom is going to be like when she wakes up. She's been through quite an ordeal."

"My mom is fine, but my other mom won't be if you don't wake her up. You were the last person to see her. Tell me Emma won't kill the man who hurt my mother and I'll drop it," Henry challenged and he watched the older man remain silent before he handed over a piece of paper with a cell phone number scribbled on it. "Call me when my mom's awake. Make sure she's able to talk."

Henry ran from the room before Whale could stop him.

Charging out of the hospital with his book bag firmly secured to his back, Henry had an idea of where his elusive mother might be. Fingers crossed that he wouldn't be too late, he ran down the side street and into the woods. He remembered awhile ago that before his grandparents got their memory back, they had found a cabin in the woods to hunker down in during a storm. He mentioned it to August for them to check it out, but August told Henry that there was no cabin anywhere in the woods. Knowing his blonde mother was getting better at magic and Ruby saying she couldn't find her scent, Henry had a gut feeling that the vanishing cabin was exactly where she was.

Using the guidance of his trusty story book, he discovered a way to break through the magical barrier that his mother had probably put up by using an object that has already been touched by magic. He had plucked an apple from his mother's enchanted tree earlier that day and he had hoped it would suffice.

Reaching a wide pasture in the middle of the woods where he was sure the cabin was located, he pulled out a laser pen from his bag and shone it across the expanse. He had gotten the idea from an episode on the X-Files and he hoped it wasn't a worthless cause. Shining the bright red light back and forth, he was about to give up when he saw a fault in the beam towards the right side of the field. Shining it over that way again, he cheered in satisfaction as he saw the laser beam end against an invisible barrier. He quickly fished out the apple and when he reached the spot of the invisible shield, he tossed the apple and smiled when the barrier disappeared, showing the cabin that was previously hidden. Cloaked shouts were suddenly heard and Henry quickly ran to the cabin and wrenched open the door, only to freeze in his tracks at what he barged in on.

Emma's hand was shoved deep inside Spencer's chest before she pulled out the prized heart with a grin. The unfocused, cold glare of his birth mother sent chills down his spine and he fought against the urge to turn around and run. She hadn't even noticed that her son stood a mere ten feet away.

"My wife may never be the same and my unborn child is probably dead by now," Emma sneered in a calm voice, almost too calm. "Your need to bring harm to me because of a vendetta you had against my parents was a wrong move, _Your Majesty_."

"You don't have the courage to kill me," King George spat out before he gasped as Emma's fingers clutched tighter around his heart.

"You have no idea what I am capable of," the savior warned in a voice that was eerily similar to her wife's deeper tone. "You told me family was everything and you were right."

"Ma, stop!" Henry yelled as he suddenly found his voice. "This isn't like you. You don't kill people!"

Icy eyes narrowed on the boy before she cocked her head to the side. "Why? Because I'm the savior? There's a lot you don't know about me, kid. Go home; you shouldn't see this."

"No!" Henry shouted as he hesitantly took a step closer. "I'm just as mad as you are. She's my mother and she was finally happy, but turning into the Evil Queen won't help any of us. You can't give in to the darkness, Ma."

Emma suddenly howled in laughter. "You think I'm going to become _the Evil Queen_?"

"No, but if you crush his heart, you'll be no better than her, the person my mother has fought so hard not to be anymore."

The sheriff faltered for a moment before she hardened her eyes and glared at the king before her. "He tried to take everything from me."

"But he didn't!" Henry argued as he took another step. "Mom's going to be fine and my baby brother or sister is doing well. Dr. Whale said it's a miracle. And you seemed to forget that you still have me."

"Don't lie to me, boy," Emma advised as she squeezed the heart tighter. "Leave Henry…now!"

A shrill ringing sound echoed through the cabin and Henry scrambled to pull out his phone. The sheriff watched him carefully as he answered it before a smile lit up his face.

"Ma, it's for you," Henry said as he held up the phone with a shaky hand. "Take it."

"I don't have time for this," the blonde snapped as she ignored the cell phone. "It took me two days to find this bastard as it is and now you're trying to stall me. Leave now."

Albert cried out as Emma clenched her hand, causing cracks to appear in the fragile heart. A malicious smile graced her once innocent face as she watched the man grovel for his life before her. Henry scrambled to press the speaker button before he held out the phone in front of him.

"Emma, stop!"

The blonde startled at the disembodied voice of her wife and she quickly relaxed her grip on the heart. Spencer coughed as he tried to regain his breath.

"Regina?" Emma questioned as her eyes focused in on the phone her son held in his hand.

"Yes, Emma...it's me," the mayor replied through the speaker.

Tears sprung to her blue-green orbs as she took the phone and turned off the speaker phone setting.

"How is this possible?" she questioned as she brought the phone up to her ear.

"Dr. Whale woke me up, at the insistence of our son I might add," Regina explained in a raspy voice. "Imagine my surprise when I'm asked to talk my wife out of killing someone."

Emma looked down at the heart in her hand and frowned. "I thought I lost you and the baby. Your heart stopped and it took forever to get you back…"

"I'm okay, Emma," Regina reassured her. "Now, return his heart and bring yourself and my son back here this instant."

"Okay," the sheriff responded. "I love you so much."

"I love you too. We'll discuss this when you get here."

The savior snapped the phone shut before she handed it back to her rattled son.

"I'm sorry, Henry," she offered before she cupped his face. "Go wait outside so I can take care of him before we go see your mother."

The savior noted the hesitation in her son's frame and she gave him a small smile. "I promise I won't hurt him. I'm just putting his heart back and I don't want you to see that. You already saw enough."

Henry sighed before he turned and left the cabin. Once he was gone, her eyes hardened as she grabbed the lapel of Albert's blazer with one hand and yanked him to his feet. Before he had a chance to blink, Emma shoved her hand roughly inside his chest and replaced his heart.

"You come near me or my family again, I can promise you that no intervention will stop me from completing what I should've done today," Emma warned as she gave his heart one final squeeze. "Are we clear?"

"Y-yes," He muttered as she pulled her hand from his chest and shoved him back.

Walking out of the cabin, she waved a hand behind her and the cabin door magically slammed shut before she pulled her son against her side and teleported them back to the hospital.


	21. Chapter 21

**AN: Hello everyone! I just want to address a question I've been asked a couple times now in regards to Neal, Gold, and Belle. Neal will not make an appearance in this story. In my opinion, he only went to Storybrooke because of Henry (and Emma), which neither of them are with Gold and Belle as they search for him. Now, as to whether Emma finds out about Neal being Gold's son from a certain someone who didn't get the reboot in my fanfic like they did on the show...well, you'll just have to wait and see! **

**Update: I know this chapter took a bit to get out, but I recently found out my Dad has cancer. I am also my own beta, so if this seems a little disjointed, please accept my apology for being off my game. **

**Happy reading :)**

* * *

Henry stumbled from Emma's grip when they reappeared in the alley beside the hospital before his accusing eyes snapped in his mother's direction.

"How did you do that? You didn't have full control of your magic and now suddenly you do?!"

"I may have borrowed a book from Gold's shop and studied it before I went after Spencer," Emma confessed.

Henry scoffed as he crossed his arms in a very Regina-like manner. "I thought you were better than her."

"Not everything is black and white, kid," Emma lectured as she knelt to his level. "You'll see as you get older that there is a lot of grey. I'm sorry you saw me like that, but you saved me; just like you did your mother."

"Whatever," Henry snapped as he turned away from the sheriff and marched into the hospital.

Emma threw her hands up in frustration before she followed after him.

As soon as the sheriff reached the threshold to Regina's room, the blonde suddenly felt nervous as she crossed over and entered. Henry had beaten her there and was already curled up on Regina's side as she cuddled him against her chest. She could see the pain his body was causing her, but the mayor remained stoic as her need to hold her son outweighed the discomfort. The blonde remained rooted at the foot of the bed as she let them have their moment.

"I missed you so much," Henry whispered as tears trailed down his nose and onto his mother's collarbone.

"I'm back now, sweetie, I'm not going anywhere," she replied, her voice still hoarse from lack of use and the breathing tube that she had in for some time. "Henry, would you please give your mother and I a minute alone?"

The preteen nodded in silent agreement before he gently eased off the bed. He didn't even look up at Emma as he coldly brushed passed her and out the door.

"Looks like you're officially on his villain list now," Regina mused.

"He's mad at me because according to him, I'm no better than the Evil Queen," Emma snorted in a low voice. "It's like breaking a cardinal rule with him or something."

"Oh Emma," Regina started as she held a hand out to her. "You could never be as ruthless as I was."

The sheriff made her way to her wife's side and carefully sat down on the edge of the bed before taking Regina's hand and kissing it.

"I ripped a man's heart out and almost crushed it in front of our son," Emma confessed softly.

The mayor winced at the image that her words produced before she quickly recovered. "You had a momentary lapse in reason because you thought you lost me and our baby. Had the roles been reversed, I wouldn't have hesitated to crush his heart, even if Henry had witnessed it. That's the difference between you and the Evil Queen."

"I'm sorry you had to wake up to this mess," Emma muttered before she reached her free hand over to Regina's swollen belly and rubbed it. "I'm sorry if I disappointed either of you."

The brunette glanced down and smiled. "I must say it was quite a shock to see my body had changed while I was asleep."

"I'm sure," Emma mused before she leaned down and gave her wife a gentle kiss. "Welcome back."

The door suddenly slammed open before an angry preteen stomped to the foot of the bed and placed his hands on his hips. The two women watched with amused expressions as their son fought to keep his temper in check before he pointed an accusing finger at Emma.

"I want you to make a promise to me and my little sister," Henry declared.

"Or brother," Emma added.

"Whatever! We made Mom make this promise a while ago and now you need to make the same one. Promise me that if anything were to happen to any of us, you won't turn into a monster."

Emma remained quiet as she thought about what her son was asking of her. She remembered when he made Regina make that promise after their temporary journey to the Enchanted Forest and now she was the one that Henry worried about turning evil. It seemed backwards and wrong somehow.

"Promise me!" Henry suddenly belted out in anger.

"Henry Daniel Swan-Mills! I raised you better than that," Regina reprimanded before she coughed from the effort.

The kid had a right to look guilty before he looked to Emma with sad eyes.

"Please, promise me and my future sibling that you won't become a monster," he pleaded.

Emma and Regina shared a look before she faced their son.

"I promise," the savior answered.

"You promise what?" Henry pushed.

Emma raised her hand like she was taking an oath. "I promise I will not turn into a monster if anything happens to my family."

"Okay," The boy quipped before he made his way to the other side of his bedridden mother and touched her cast-covered arm. "Ma has been practicing magic with a book she found at Mr. Gold's shop," Henry tattled.

"Why you little weasel," Emma scorned and her son flashed her a devilish grin.

Regina narrowed her eyes at her wife. "What did the book look like?"

"Um, like a pocket edition of the book of shadows. It had a little jeweled heart on the front. Not exactly Gold's taste if you ask me…Regina?"

The heart monitor increased in rhythm as the mayor visibly paled.

"That's my mother's book," Regina whispered out harshly. "You used my mother's book of magic?!"

"I guess, but only to learn a cloaking spell, I promise…but," Emma paused as she looked down in shame. "I sneezed on it and a puff of gold swirled off the page and I might've inhaled it."

"What!"

"Gina, you need to calm down," Emma soothed as she saw the vitals go higher on the monitor. "Please, for the baby…you have to calm down."

The mayor closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths before she felt calm enough to glare at her wife.

"When I am released from this hospital and in good health, we are going to have some words, Sheriff Swan-Mills," Regina warned before she turned to watch Dr. Whale enter the room.

"Everything okay in here?" he asked as he checked over Regina's vitals on the monitor.

"Everything's fine," Regina offered with a fake smile. "I am getting tired though."

"It's understandable. Sheriff, perhaps we should let your wife get some rest. She still has some recovering to do."

Emma dumbly nodded as she kissed her wife's forehead and straightened up. Henry mimicked her actions and they both left the room.

"Oh…you are in trouble," Henry sang out before he ducked from his mother's hand and took off down the hall.

"You can't hide from me forever!" Emma yelled after him before she allowed herself a small chuckle. At least it seemed like Henry forgave her in some way for almost turning to the dark side, but she was sure he wasn't done letting her know how bad she had screwed up.

* * *

Another week passed by before Regina was well enough to be considered for discharge. The swelling in her brain was completely gone, her ribs and lung had healed up nicely, and her cast was removed in exchange for a splint. Dr. Whale was also happy to report that her blood pressure had remained normal for the past week, which meant she didn't have to follow the low blood pressure restrictions anymore. He signed off on her discharge papers, but informed the mayor that she had to wait for her OB/GYN to give the unborn fetus a clean bill of health before she could leave the hospital.

Dr. Behr was a beautiful young woman with hair as golden as Emma's. She had been wonderful with them since she had started being their doctor and the anxious parents were hoping to learn of the baby's sex before they left the hospital.

Henry was at school so it was just Emma and Regina in the room when Dr. Behr arrived with a wheelchair.

"Hello ladies," she greeted. "Let's get you up to the ultrasound room and check on that baby of yours."

Regina climbed into the wheelchair and they leisurely made their way down the hall to the elevator.

"Have you been feeling any weird sensations in your abdomen this week?" Dr. Behr asked the mayor as they got into the elevator.

"Now that you mention it, yes," Regina answered as she unconsciously placed a hand to her midsection. "I just thought it was indigestion from the hospital food."

Dr. Behr laughed as they reached the third floor and exited the elevator. "It could be, but it's more probable that the cause is the baby. At eighteen weeks, you should be feeling the fetus fluttering around."

Regina's eyes softened as she looked down. "Now I'm anxious for it to happen again."

"Unfortunately for the other mommy, you probably won't feel it for another week or two," Dr. Behr stated as she glanced at Emma while they entered a darkened room.

After assisting Regina up onto the table, the doctor quickly went to work setting up everything for the ultrasound before she poured the jelly onto Regina's exposed abdomen and placed the wand against her. The sound of the baby's heartbeat was immediately heard and the three watched the screen as the doctor moved the wand around to check the development of their growing child.

"The fetus looks healthy," Dr. Behr informed them as she paused the image over the baby's chest. "Active, heart rate's good, average size...it doesn't look like the fetus sustained any lasting damage from the car accident or the cardiac arrest."

"That's a relief," Regina murmured as she took Emma's hand and squeezed it.

"Oh, look at that; she's being cooperative," the doctor mused as she clicked the mouse and snapped a picture. The image printed out and she handed it over to Emma before she tapped at the three visible lines in the picture. "It's a girl."

"Henry was right," Emma indicated as she gazed down at the black and white image. "Wait a second, is this what I think it is?"

Dr. Behr chuckled before she shrugged. "Like I said, it's a girl."

"A little girl," the brunette sobbed as tears streamed down into her hairline. "Our little girl."

"Look at her," the sheriff praised as the doctor got a good facial profile of the baby. "She's beautiful."

"Yes, she is," Regina agreed as she swiped at her eyes.

"Well, everything is great and your baby girl is healthy and strong. I'll hand the release notes to your tending nurse and you'll be free to go home," the doctor stated before she handed a few more printed images to the happy couple. "I'll see you two in a few weeks."

Emma kissed the brunette's brow before she looked at the pictures in Regina's hand.

"This is tangible proof that there is life within me," the mayor indicated as she lightly traced her daughter's profile with her splinted hand. "We created life and no one can take that from me."

Emma gazed down at her wife and murmured, "I'd never let that happen. She will be born healthy and strong with no threats of being taken or ending before her time. I'll make sure of it."

"You can't guarantee that, Emma."

"I promise you, Regina; you will carry her full term and give birth to her. You will hold her in your arms and watch her grow up to be a beautiful child. No matter what the cost, I will make sure that no one ever takes her from you. Do you understand me?"

Fresh tears trickled down Regina's face. She didn't want to argue with her wife and tell her that she couldn't prevent a miscarriage or a stillborn child, or stop an army of angered citizens from rising up once again and stealing the child away in the night. Looking upon the blurred image of her daughter in her hand, she offered Emma a small nod and smile in answer before she exhaled in relief when Emma accepted it as a response.

* * *

After getting Regina settled back home and into bed to take a nap, Emma left her wife's side to tidy up the unused house and make it more livable. Henry wordlessly took up a dust rag and helped her as they worked on the living room, but she could sense that her son had a lot on his mind. She watched as his brow would wrinkle for a moment before his jaw would clench and then he'd sigh and relax before it'd start all over again. After the sixth time of witnessing this, Emma stopped dusting and turned to face her son.

"Spit it out," she ordered as her hands perched themselves on her hips. "You've been acting shady around me all week so whatever you want to say to me, just say it. I'll even give you a free pass to speak your mind without the threat of being grounded."

Henry paused as he considered her offer before he threw his dust rag to the floor and glared at his fair-haired mother.

"How could you do it? How could you be so dumb?!" he lashed out as his hands balled up into tight fists. "You could've ruined everything!"

The savior clenched her jaw to keep from reprimanding him on calling her dumb before she explained, "I wish I had a straight answer for you kid, but I don't. I honestly don't know what came over me. Your mother is the love of my life and having to face the reality that she almost died, that I almost lost her and our baby because some moron had a vendetta against my father, I just…I snapped, Henry."

"Why wasn't I enough?" the boy asked in a small voice.

"What?" Emma questioned as she didn't quite understand what her son was trying to say.

"Why was I never enough for you?!" he belted out as angry tears slid down his cheeks. "You didn't want me as a newborn and you forgot all about me when you thought my mother and baby sister were dead."

"Henry, I didn't forget about you," Emma reasoned in a pleading tone.

"Yes you did!" he shouted before he stormed out of the room and ran up the stairs.

She listened as his feet pounded against the second floor until she heard his door slam shut and she dropped to the couch in defeat. Emma didn't want to admit that Henry was right, but when she thought back to those harrowing weeks in the hospital, she realized with sadness that she had barely acknowledged his existence. She stopped taking care of him and he never once complained as Ruby took him home with her every night; and on that fateful day that she almost lost Regina, Henry hadn't even crossed her mind until he showed up at the cabin and saved her from making a grave mistake.

"What kind of mother am I?" she cried out as she dropped her face into her hands.

The sound of movement from upstairs alerted Emma that Regina was awake, most likely woken up by their son's slamming door. She heard her wife enter Henry's room and her timbered voice call out his name before she heard the sobbing wails of the preteen as he cried out for her. The sheriff risked walking to the edge of the foyer before she looked upstairs to Henry's opened doorway.

Her heart broke in two as she heard the earth-shattering cries that poured out from their son as Regina's voice repeated over and over, "Shh, Mommy's got you, Mommy's got you."

Hearing the physical pain she had caused her son broke something inside of her and the blonde felt her body stumble backwards until her back connected with the wall before her legs gave out, causing her to slide to the floor with a solid thump. Pulling her knees up tightly against her chest, she allowed the tears to escape as gut-wrenching sobs tore through her, matching the wails of her son upstairs. After what seemed like hours of crying, her eyes slipped shut of their own accord and she fell fast asleep.

Regina couldn't remember the last time Henry had cried so much. She didn't even think he cried this much when he fell out of the tree in the backyard and broke his wrist. Looking down at her now slumbering son that was half cradled in her arms, the mayor only saw her baby boy and not the preteen that could no longer fit in her embrace. After a few minutes of enjoying his cuddling, she carefully roused him enough to get him to crawl under the covers before she tucked him in.

"Pleasant dreams, my sweet boy," she murmured before she brushed his hair aside and kissed his forehead.

Exiting his room, she carefully closed the door before she ambled down the stairs. As she rounded the landing before descending the final set of steps, the brunette was surprised to see her wife curled up against the wall by the living room sound asleep. Climbing down the remaining steps, she reached the sheriff's side and gently shook her shoulder.

"Emma, wake up."

Swollen eyes blinked open and the savior squinted up to see her pregnant wife hovering over her. She was momentarily confused until she remembered Henry and realized she had cried herself to sleep. Quickly clambering up the wall to get to her feet, she rubbed the dried tear tracks from her face as best she could before she turned to look at her wife.

"How is he?"

"Sleeping," the brunette answered as she narrowed her eyes. "Do you mind informing me on what the hell is going on around here?"

"Do you need anything? Water? Food?" Emma offered as a way of distraction.

"What I need is for you to tell me why my son and my wife are bawling their eyes out in separate rooms!"

The sheriff shrunk back a little before she wordlessly headed into the living room and sat down. Regina huffed as she followed her before she took a tentative seat beside the blonde. Emma could tell from her rigid back that the mayor was anything but relaxed.

"I failed our son," Emma admitted.

"Be more specific," Regina pushed.

"When you were in the hospital, I never left your side. Ruby took care of our son, not me. And then when I thought I lost you and our baby, I hunted down Albert Spencer and almost killed him," the blonde indicated before fresh tears slipped out of her already bloodshot eyes. "I abandoned him, Regina. I abandoned him as a newborn and I did it again when I thought I would lose you. I'm a horrible mother and I don't deserve him or our unborn daughter."

"Oh Emma, you didn't abandon him. You gave him up as a newborn so he had a chance at a better life, and as far as King George is concerned, you were blinded by rage. Henry's just a little broken right now because he never saw you as the villain. It's the first time you have disappointed him, but he'll get over it. Do you have any idea how many times I've disappointed him. To be perfectly honest, I've lost count. Give him time, Emma; he'll come around."

"He might, but I won't," Emma stated before she got to her feet. "Magic always comes with a price and right now, the price I'm paying is my son's loss of faith in me. I need to fix this somehow."

"There's nothing you can do except give it time."

"Can I bind my magic?" Emma suddenly asked.

Regina seemed startled by the question before she thought for a moment and nodded. "Actually yes; are you sure this is something that you want to consider doing?"

"Yes; I have to show Henry that, like misbehaved children, adults need to be grounded sometimes too," she explained before she stated, "We need to do it now."

"Do you still have my mother's spell book?"

Emma nodded before she left the room and retrieved the book. She handed it over to Regina, whom became a little misty-eyed as she stroked the jeweled heart on the cover.

"Try not to sneeze, dear, until I finish the spell," Regina chastised with a half smirk before she flipped the book open and flipped to the page she needed. "Are you absolutely positive about going through with this? Once a set time is put in place and the spell is cast, it cannot be undone."

"I'm positive, Regina. I need to gain Henry's trust back."

"How long do you want your magic to be bound?"

"Until the birth of our daughter," Emma answered without hesitation.

Regina looked upon her distraught wife before she glanced down at the spell and started reading the words from the page. When she finished the chant, she blew a breath of air across the illustrated picture of a ribbon and watched as the magic danced towards Emma's face before the sheriff deeply inhaled it. Releasing her breath, Emma opened her eyes and cocked her head to the side.

"That's it?"

That's it. Try to do magic."

Emma looked around before her eyes landed on a candle in the center of the coffee table. She focused on the wick and wrinkled her forehead in concentration, but the candle never lit. Turning back to Regina she smiled in relief. "It worked."

"Of course it worked," Regina quipped before she closed the book and stood up. "I'm going to go lock this up in my office. I expect you and our son to talk this out sooner rather than later."

"I will," Emma responded. "And Regina?"

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry."

She was going to demand to know why she was apologizing to her, but instead she simply responded, "Just make it right."

With her head hung low, Emma made her way up to her son's room and quietly entered. The blotched cheeks and swollen eyes of her sleeping boy made her heart clench in pain before she sat down beside him and roused him from his slumber.

"Henry," she murmured as he blinked his eyes open and looked upon his fair-haired mother. "I'm so sorry, Henry. I never meant to make you feel abandoned, but that's exactly what I did."

The preteen sat up in his bed, but he remained silent as he kept his eyes cast down. Emma swallowed around the lump that was forming in her throat before she continued.

"I had your mother bind my magic," Emma confessed and sharp hazel eyes popped up and glared at her.

"Why would you do that?" Henry questioned in a raspy voice.

"As punishment for hurting you and almost ruining everything," she offered. "I love you, kid. Today was a real wake up call for me and I'm sorry, truly sorry that I ignored you these past couple of weeks."

"You love me?"

"Emma seemed confused by his question until she realized she never initiated the sentiment before. With fresh tears, she nodded before she whispered, "Of course I love you."

Henry launched himself into Emma's arms and she held him tightly against her as she kissed his crown. Little did they know that Regina had been silently observing the exchange between them.

"Well now, that is a promising sight to behold," the mayor murmured as she pushed herself away from her perch against the door frame.

"Is it true that her magic is really bound?" Henry asked his brunette mother as she sat down beside her wife.

"It's true; she has no magic until the birth of your sister," the mayor murmured until she sucked in a sharp breath.

"Regina, what's wrong?"

"I think...she's moving," the brunette realized as her eyes lit up. "I feel her, Emma."

"Cool, can we feel it yet?" Henry asked as he watched his mother hold her lower stomach.

"Not quite yet, dear. I feel it on the inside, but I don't feel anything we're she's making movements on the outside," she explained and the brunette watched the frown start to form on her son's face. "You know what, it doesn't hurt to try anyway, right?"

Henry beamed as his mother guided his hand to her baby bump and he grinned as she held his hand firmly in place. Emma gave a watery smile to her wife and she placed her hand on top of their hands and gave a small squeeze. Henry looked over at his blonde mother and gave her the first genuine smile since before Regina had the car accident. Her heart swelled at having that smile aimed in her direction and fought back tears as they returned their attention to Regina and fawned over the growing baby girl inside of her.


	22. Chapter 22

**AN: This armada rocks, seriously; you guys are awesome :) Thank you for the well wishes about my Dad. So many people in my life struggling with cancer and he was just that final straw. Cancer just seems to be all around me, as I'm sure several of you can relate. Anyway, I have faith he'll survive this because my Dad has done nothing but fight his entire life. **

**On a different note, we're skipping forward a little bit so I'm sure you can deduce what is about to take place real soon! Happy reading :)**

* * *

_Five months later_

Regina entered her ninth month of pregnancy with a grace that not many women could pull off. Her petite frame carried her swollen belly well and she only suffered from minor nuisances like swollen ankles and the occasional heartburn. Emma was a little jealous at how easy her wife made pregnancy look, but after everything Regina had been through, Emma felt she more than earned a little reprieve from a normally daunting task of carrying a growing human around inside a tiny body.

Winter had arrived earlier than expected and a blizzard warning was issued for the already snow-covered state of Maine. Emma had spent the entire week getting the town prepared to face the wrath of the incoming storm, keeping her away from home more often than not. She hated to be separated from Regina, especially with the due date just around the corner, but she was the sheriff and it was her responsibility to make sure the town and its people were safe and prepared for what was anticipated to be a crippling storm.

It had started to snow earlier than the weatherman had predicted on the day of the blizzard and Emma, along with her deputy and part-time officers, were running around town for last minute tasks to ensure everyone returned home safely before they shut down the entire town. The only places that were to remain open were the hospital, the fire house, and the sheriff's station.

Seeing how late the hour was, Emma made a quick call to home as she stepped into Granny's diner. Henry had answered the phone and she explained she'd be home soon with supper and to pass the message along to Regina.

Ruby stepped out with a prepared bag of food and handed it over to Emma as she approached the counter.

"How's Regina doing?" Ruby asked.

"She's doing great, better than great. She makes me feel like I over-exaggerated my pregnancy issues that I had with Henry," Emma chuckled before she released a soft sigh. "I can tell she's exhausted though and she's becoming very anxious about the birth."

"I bet," Ruby said. "You two are going to have the most gorgeous kid ever."

"We already do," Emma indicated with a wink. "But I wouldn't call him gorgeous to his face; he'd prefer handsome."

"I stand corrected. You two are going to have another beautiful child to add to your already gorgeous family."

Emma leaned towards the waitress and smiled. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're jealous."

"Damn straight I'm jealous! You two are sickly sweet and it's ridiculous that you aren't the most popular fairytale story to this world's children. You make your own parents look average."

"Oh, I wouldn't tell them that," Emma retorted before she frowned. "That is, if we ever see them again."

"They'll be back," Ruby assured with a bright grin. "Trust me, they're probably kicking themselves for leaving here and are probably doing everything they can to open another portal."

"We'll see," Emma answered as she headed for the door. "Lock up and shut down."

"Yes Ma'am," Ruby replied with a salute. "Tell the family I said hello."

* * *

After speaking to Emma, Henry made his way upstairs and peeked into his unborn baby sister's lavender-hued nursery. As expected, he found his dark-haired mother had once again fallen asleep in the rocking chair that was nestled in the corner.

He quietly entered the room before he gently shook Regina's arm. "Mom, wake up."

Regina's eyes fluttered open and she offered a lazy smile to her son. "Hey sweetheart, what time is it?"

"Almost seven. Ma said she'll be home soon and she's bringing home dinner."

"From Granny's?" Regina questioned as her eyes sparkled with hope.

Henry rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Of course, Mom. All the french fries you can eat will be here shortly."

Regina gingerly sat up and stretched, only to pause midway to grab her lower back with both hands. Henry saw the wince of pain that crossed her features and he immediately reached out to steady her.

"Mom, are you alright?"

Regina leaned side to side, stretching her sore muscles before she nodded. "I'm alright Henry, just a little tender from sleeping in the chair."

Henry watched her warily, but when she flashed a beaming smile at him, he couldn't help but return it. He offered his shoulder for her to lean on and escorted her out of the room and down to the living room to await the arrival of his golden-haired mother.

* * *

By the time Emma had arrived home, the snow was coming down hard and the wind had gained in strength. Quickly entering the house, she handed the bag of food over to her son before she shook the snow off her coat and boots. She watched as Regina toddled over to the dining room table before she practically tore the container from Henry's grasp and sat down at the table with fries already stuffed in her mouth. Emma chuckled under her breath as she shed her outer layers before she made her way up the few steps and to her wife's side.

"Hello, my love," Emma murmured into the brunette's ear before she pressed a kiss to her wife's cheek.

Regina's eyes warmed at Emma's presence and her nose crinkled as she smiled while chewing her mouth full of food.

"The town is completely shut down and everyone is tucked safely into their homes to ride out this blizzard. Deputy Locke and Officer Smith are bunked at the station for the next twenty-four hours so unless there's a major catastrophe, I'm all yours," Emma announced as she took her food container and sat down. "Although if we get the amount of snow that they're predicting, I'm not going anywhere, catastrophe or not."

"Is there a lot of snow out there right now?" Henry asked eagerly between bites of his hamburger.

"About three inches, but that will change in a few hours," Emma offered. "After you eat your dinner, I need you to start gathering candles and set them out. There's a good chance we could lose power tonight. The governor already put us in a state of emergency."

"Do you really think it'll be that bad?"

"The last predicted snowfall I heard on the radio was twenty-four to twenty-eight inches with wind gusts of sixty miles per hour. This is a powerful storm, kid."

"Twenty-eight inches?! I can build a snowman army with that amount of snow!" Henry cheered and his mother's laughed at his enthusiasm.

"Kid, you can build an army, a castle, and a courtyard with that amount," Emma added and she watched as her son's eyes suddenly twinkled in delight. "I'm kidding, Henry."

A smile remained plastered on his face as his eyes glazed over. Emma could almost hear the gears grinding in his head as he planned out his own snow kingdom to rule over.

"Congratulations Mrs. Swan-Mills, your brilliant ideas have once again lost our son to his own imagination," Regina quipped playfully.

Emma groaned as she slapped a hand to her face. "Great."

After dinner, Emma and Henry went about the house to prepare for a possible power outage while Regina went upstairs and slept.

"Mom's been sleeping a lot lately," Henry noted as he helped set firewood into the bin beside the living room hearth.

"You'd be tired too if you had to lug a watermelon around all day," Emma indicated. "It's late, kid. Why don't you head on up and get some sleep."

"Okay. Night, Ma."

Emma watched her son leave the room before she finished filling up the fireplace. She knew she should probably go to bed too, but the weather had her on edge. After setting out a few more candles, she made herself a mug of hot cocoa and curled up on the couch, gazing out the window at the accumulating powder as it fell from the sky in great volume. It wasn't long before her eyes had slipped closed and she unintentionally dozed off.

* * *

Emma blinked her eyes open in confusion before she realized she was still on the couch in the living room. Sitting up, she grabbed her cell phone and flicked it on, squinting at the bright screen in shock when she saw that it was two in the morning. It was then that she realized the house was quiet…too quiet. Flicking the switch on the table lamp, she sighed heavily when no light came on.

"Great, no power," Emma mumbled aloud as she used her cell phone to illuminate the way to the window to look outside. She could see that the entire street appeared to be bathed in darkness and figured most of the town was probably without power. The light on her phone suddenly went out and she looked down in confusion as she tried to turn it back on. When the phone refused to power back up, she remembered she was supposed to charge it, but her unexpected nap on the couch prevented her from plugging it in. She hoped the station wasn't trying to contact her as she also realized that she forgot to bring a radio home.

"Damn it, Swan!" she snapped as she stumbled in the darkened room towards the coffee table and lit a candle. Reaching for the house phone on the end table, she picked it up and dialed Locke, but was disappointed to hear the droning beeps of a disconnected line. She slammed the phone back down in frustration before she growled, "Could anything else go wrong tonight?!"

She would soon discover that it could.

Deciding that she needed to check on her family, she picked up the candle and headed upstairs. She peeked into her son's room first to ensure that he was still asleep before she shuffled down the corridor to the master bedroom.

A soft whimpering noise was heard on the other side of the door and Emma entered the room to find her wife curled up on her side with a pained look on her face as her eyes remained shut. She carefully set the candle on the night stand before she cupped her wife's face in her palms.

"Regina," Emma whispered.

The brunette opened her eyes and looked longingly at her wife. "Emma."

"What's wrong?"

"I fell asleep in the rocking chair again and now my back is plaguing me with pain," Regina complained.

"I know you like being in the nursery, but you can't keep sleeping in that chair. It's not good for you," Emma lectured as she helped her wife into a sitting position.

Regina noticed the candle for the first time and arched an eyebrow. "We lost power?"

"The power, the phone, my cell phone...we're living medieval for the time being."

"You forget I grew up in what you deem _medieval_," Regina countered as she stood up. "How much snow is out there?"

Emma shrugged. "I couldn't tell downstairs. I'm hoping our room offers a better vantage point," she explained as she walked over to the window and pulled back the curtains. Even though the town was cloaked in shadows from the power outage, the full moon penetrated the rolling clouds enough for Emma to see the thick blanket of white that covered everything. "Wow…that's a lot of snow; more than a foot already. If it keeps going like this, we could be snowed in for days."

"I sure hope not or else this is going to be a rather unpleasant experience," Regina murmured as she looked down at the puddle between her legs. "My water just broke."

Emma's head snapped to her wife. "Did you just say what I think…oh shit, this isn't good. I can't get you to the hospital in this weather!"

"Relax, dear. As you should be well aware of, firstborn children tend to take a while and honestly, without the power and hospital amenities, we're still a far cry from a birthing experience in that medieval place known as the Enchanted Forest," the brunette teased with a smirk as she watched the blonde grab towels and sop up the mess on the carpet below her.

"What are we gonna do, Regina? I don't know how to deliver a baby!"

"I thought you were reading books on this?"

"Books don't suddenly give me a medical degree!" Emma shouted in panic.

"Use Henry's go-to phone and call Dr. Behr to ask for advice," Regina offered.

"I forgot to add minutes to his phone. Wait, where's your cell phone?"

"Getting serviced, remember? My foggy pregnancy brain caused me to forget it was on the roof of my car as I drove away," Regina reminded her.

"Shit, that's right," Emma quipped as her hands raked nervously through her hair. "Could this get any worse! I've heard of bad luck, but this...we're completely on our own! Do you realize that?!"

"And yet we're still better off than the Enchanted Forest," Regina teased before her first real contraction ripped through her abdomen. "Oh my…oh Gods!"

Emma quickly reached out and steadied her wife as the pain washed over her until Regina sighed in relief when it finally ebbed away.

Worried russet eyes suddenly flashed with concern. "What if I can't do this? What if something happens and…"

"Shh, it's going to be okay, I promise. How about I run a bath and we get you settled in there? Water is supposed to help with the contractions," Emma explained as she tucked an errand strand of hair behind Regina's ear.

"Now suddenly you're the embodiment of calm?" the brunette questioned with a raised brow.

"Seeing you in pain seemed to have the effect of kicking the white knight syndrome into overdrive," Emma humored as she helped Regina onto the bed. "Sit tight; I'll be right back."

With a chaste kiss to her wife's temple, Emma left Regina's side to light more candles and draw a bath.

* * *

Emma looked down at the wristwatch she had put on and sighed as she watched her wife's breathing return to normal after suffering through another contraction. "They're about twenty minutes apart which means you have a long road ahead of you. At least I had drugs given to me when I went into labor with Henry but you, my queen, must endure this in all its natural glory," Emma jabbed playfully.

Regina scowled as she ran her hands over her exposed belly. "I was planning a natural birth to begin with because I, unlike some people, can handle the pain."

"I was eighteen," Emma defended. "I was alone, scared, and in prison. Natural wasn't even an option in my younger mind."

"You seem to forget dear, eighteen was considered an old maid in my world. Most women gave birth to their first child at sixteen."

Emma scoffed at the idea of being so young and pregnant. "I forget how old school you people are sometimes, but you live in this world now, a world that has lots to offer…like drugs to help with labor pains."

"Regardless, we can't leave the house so this argument is futile. How about you join me?"

Emma didn't need to be asked twice as she quickly shed her clothes and climbed into the tub behind her wife, stretching her long legs out along Regina's sides.

"That's better," Regina hummed in content as she settled back against Emma's chest and closed her eyes.

They remained in the bathtub surrounded by the ambient lighting of candles for the next forty minutes. Regina had fallen asleep while Emma continued to lovingly stroke her hands over her wife's swollen midsection. A groan would slip from Regina whenever a contraction would start, but otherwise she remained asleep and for that Emma was grateful because she knew that when it came time to push, Regina would need all the energy she could summon.

Realizing her hands were pruned and the water was considerably cooler, Emma decided that they needed to get out for a bit. After rousing her wife, she helped the sluggish brunette into her robe and put her to bed before donning her sleep wear and draining the tub.

Emma was surprisingly wide awake and her body vibrated with adrenaline at the impending arrival of her daughter. Unable to sit still, she grabbed some cleaning supplies and scrubbed the carpet where Regina's water broke until it was spotless. After that task was completed, she checked on her slumbering wife before she headed downstairs. Lighting dozens of candles and starting the fireplace, Emma found herself cleaning like a drone. From one end to the other, she cleaned the entire first floor of the house. When she finally paused and realized what she had done, Emma couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it.

"She's the one having the baby and I get stuck with the nesting syndrome," Emma mused out loud.

"What's nesting syndrome?" A sleepy voice asked as Henry appeared in the kitchen doorway.

Emma startled at his voice before she recovered. "Geez kid, are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

Henry laughed before he wrapped his arms around Emma's waist. "Sorry Ma. Why are you cleaning in the middle of the night?"

"Nesting syndrome," Emma repeated before she chuckled at her son's confused expression. "It's usually the pregnant one who gets this sudden urge to clean vigorously before the baby arrives, but apparently I got the urge and not your mother."

"It doesn't surprise me. You two are bonded in a very strong way," Henry offered with a shrug. "I noticed we lost power. Did you look to see how much snow was outside?"

"Not lately. Let's go have a look-see, shall we?" Emma offered as they headed for the foyer.

The minute she opened the front door, they were hit with a blast of cold air as the wind whipped inside. The wall of snow that was supported against the entryway started to fall in and Emma quickly shut the door and locked it up.

"Holy crap that's a lot of snow!"

"Henry, language!" she scolded.

"Sorry."

A loud moan from upstairs had Emma bolting past her son and up the steps before she entered the master bedroom. She quickly made her way to Regina's side and soothed her tussled locks from her face.

"Hey Gina, how are you feeling?" Emma whispered.

Pained eyes glistened as Regina struggled to keep her emotions under control, but Emma's presence always made those walls crumble down. "They're stronger than before."

Emma offered a warm smile as she continued to stroke her wife's hair. "I know, and I'm afraid it's only going to get worse. How about we get you up and walking, huh? I read that walking is supposed to help ease the pain."

Regina narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "So you were reading books about pregnancy and birth."

Emma blushed. "Well, I don't remember much about my labor and I wanted to make sure I was prepared for yours. I felt if I had some knowledge on the subject that I might be able to help you out in some way. Little did I know that I would need the knowledge because we're snowed in and unable to get to the hospital."

"My white knight," Regina murmured.

"Always," Emma responded before she saw Henry in the doorway.

"Is Mom okay?"

"I'm fine, sweetheart," Regina answered before she stood up from the bed and faced him. "Your baby sister is just anxious to join us."

"You're having the baby?! Now?!"

Emma chuckled as she let Regina lean against her for support. "Yeah kid, your Mom is in labor."

Henry darted to his mother's free side and pulled her arm around his shoulders. Regina smiled at the support her son was offering and she tightened her arm around him in a half hug. Henry was almost panicking as he held his mother's weight against him.

"What are we gonna do? The snow and no power…we can't get to the hospital! Can we call someone? Can someone pick us up? Oh, I know, use your radio!"

"I left my radio at work, phone lines are down and my cell is dead."

"And you forgot to add minutes to mine like you were supposed to do last week," the boy snapped before he felt the glare of his blonde mother at his attitude and sighed heavily. "Sorry, Ma, I didn't mean to yell its just...what are we gonna do?"

"It's going to be just fine Henry, you'll see. I have everything I need right here to get through this," Regina reassured him as she gave him a light squeeze.

Henry seemed to accept her answer for now. "I guess you'll be having this baby the same way Grandma had Mom…except Doc isn't here to help."

"Doc? As in one of the seven dwarfs Doc?" Emma questioned as they helped Regina out of the bedroom.

"Yeah. He was the one who delivered you," Henry informed his blonde mother.

"That's disturbing," Emma grimaced and her wife laughed at her uneasiness.

"To say the least," Regina added as she allowed her family to help her down the stairs and into the living room.

Emma had a fire roaring in the hearth and candles were littered everywhere, giving the room a decent amount of lighting. It was also the warmest room currently in the house.

Regina purposely sniffed the air before her forehead wrinkled in confusion. "Did you…_clean_?"

"She cleaned the entire first floor from top to bottom. She said it was nesting syndrome," Henry explained.

Regina cast a disbelieving look towards her wife. "Nesting syndrome? It takes a pregnancy symptom to get you to actually clean?"

"It was scary. I don't know what came over me," Emma quipped with a mocked frown.

Regina rolled her eyes before she ambled over to the fireplace to warm her hands. She glanced at the manual clock above the mantle and sighed. "Sun should be coming up soon."

Emma nodded in agreement before a yawn slipped out. "It's a good thing we have a gas stove. I'm gonna go heat up some water for coffee. Do you want anything?"

"A glass of water will suffice."

"Henry, would you like some hot cocoa?"

"Are you actually asking me?" Henry prodded.

Emma shook her head and laughed. "No, I guess not."

As Emma disappeared into the kitchen, Regina slowly made her way around the grand living room, taking her time as Henry walked beside her in case she needed him.

"Are you scared, Mom?"

Regina smiled down at him and answered, "A little, but it's to be expected."

"I'm can't wait to meet her," he confessed.

"Me too, sweetheart, me too," Regina agreed before she gasped.

"What's wrong?" Henry panicked.

"It's just a contraction, dear," Regina explained through clenched teeth. "Here, give me your hands."

Henry extended his hands to her and she placed them on top of her protruding belly. His expression grew curious as he felt the muscles tightening underneath his palms until they finally relaxed. Regina let out a relieved breath as it passed before she gazed lovingly at her son.

"Did you feel it?"

"Yeah, that was cool! I mean, I know it hurt you, but I could feel all the muscles bunching up. Can I feel it again with the next one?" Henry asked shyly.

Regina brushed a hand through his hair and smiled. "Sweetie, you don't have to ask. I want you to be a part of this. We're a family."

"And as a family we're in this together," Henry surmised.

"I hope you're still whistling that tune when your mother starts pushing," Emma quipped as she entered the room with two mugs and a glass of water.

"Is Mom going to be okay?" Henry questioned his blonde mother as he took his mug of cocoa and sipped on it.

Emma handed Regina the glass of water before she turned to her son and patted his shoulder. "Kid, you need to prepare yourself. Things are gonna get pretty intense and your mom is going to need a lot of support. I realize you're probably too young to understand the whole birthing thing, but I'm gonna need your help so if you have any questions, just ask."

Henry straightened his posture in a very Regina-like fashion before he quipped, "I'm twelve, Ma, not four. I'm well aware of where babies come from."

Emma blinked in shock. "All you had to do was tag Miss Swan on the end of that sentence and I would've mistaken you for your mother."

Instead of the scowl she expected, Emma was surprised when Henry beamed with what looked to be pride before he flashed his brunette mother a grin. "You hear that, Mom? I'm just like you."

"I would think that would be upsetting for you," Regina countered in confusion.

"A few years ago it would have, but now it makes me...I don't know, happy because I know I'm not biologically both of yours like my sister will be, so when I get told I'm just like you, then that's about as close as it gets for me to be biologically both of yours," Henry explained. "Does that make sense?"

"I understand what you are saying, but never think for one moment that you aren't both of ours, whether we share DNA or not," Regina countered.

"I know, Mom," Henry indicated as he set his mug down and hugged her as best as he could. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Henry held his brunette mother for a few seconds until he felt the contraction start to build up between their connected bodies.

"I got you, Mom," he murmured as he continued to hold her as best as he could while she tightened her grip around his shoulders and hissed through the pain. "I got you."


	23. Chapter 23

**AN: Finally, the conclusion of the birth. Emma goes a little MacGyver in here (she watches too much tv) and breastfeeding is mentioned in this chapter, so heads up if that makes you squeamish. **

**Happy reading :)**

* * *

Emma, Regina, and Henry relaxed together in the living room for the next couple of hours as the labor pains came and went. They talked about anything and everything as the rising sun slowly lit up the sky and the blizzard started to ebb away. Once daylight broke, the family was stunned at the amount of snow that had fallen. Emma knew the town's road crew only consisted of two people, which meant hours before they would even reach their street, and unless her officers could heroically shovel their way to them and then to the hospital, they were stuck at home. Emma wished more than anything that they could teleport to the hospital, but the last trimester of pregnancy really made Regina's powers wonky and thanks to the temporary binding spell, Emma was without magic until their daughter was born.

"Leave it to our kid to be born during a blizzard," Emma mused while Regina clung to her as another contraction hit. "Especially when both of us are unable to use magical assistance."

"_Miss Swan_," Regina hissed through the pain.

"Hey now, it's Mrs. Swan-Mills, get it right if you're going to lecture me."

The mayor tightened her grip around Emma's shoulders. "This is all your fault," she growled in a menacing tone.

"Yes it is, but when you see that pudgy little baby face for the first time, you're going to thank me."

Regina groaned loudly and the snide comment she had planned to say slipped from her mind as she cried out, "Oh God Emma, it hurts!"

"I know, Regina, but you are so strong. As disturbing as it is, remember that my mother gave birth to me this way so if she could do it, then you can do it...unless you want people to think my mother is stronger than you," Emma jabbed, knowing it would hit a nerve with her wife.

"I'll be damned if Snow White is considered stronger than me," Regina snapped through clenched teeth.

Emma smiled triumphantly as she rubbed soothing circles on Regina's back. "Just breathe, big deep breaths."

The crippling pain finally eased up a few seconds later, but Regina couldn't stop the soft cries that escaped her throat. She rested her head on her wife's collarbone as tears continued to slip from her eyes and Emma allowed her to cry without bringing attention to it.

As different and as happy as Regina had been since they became a couple, Emma knew it was still very difficult for her to show any signs of weakness. Had they actually been at the hospital delivering this child, the blonde knew Regina would've raised her walls and hid every emotion and pain. For that reason alone, Emma couldn't help but be secretly thankful for the blizzard to allow the mayor the comforts of their home so she could focus on giving birth and not keeping her mask in place.

"Regina, we need to start making plans for the birth," Emma softly indicated and she felt the brunette's head nod against her shoulder. "The first thing is where…where would you feel most comfortable?"

Regina leaned back and wiped at the remaining moisture under her eyes. "I'm not sure."

Emma lifted her wife's chin and cocked her head. "Yes you are, you're just not sure how I'd feel about it."

"How do you do that?" Regina inquired with a quirked eyebrow.

"It's a gift. How about I get you upstairs and we get our bedroom ready for our daughter's arrival."

"Alright, now you're just guessing," the brunette chastised.

Emma smiled and cupped Regina's cheek. "No, I just know you better than you know yourself sometimes."

Regina smiled before she shifted her eyes to the couch. "Should we wake Henry?"

Emma looked down at their slumbering son and shook her head. "Let him sleep."

* * *

It took all of twenty minutes to get everything ready upstairs. They had a waterproof mattress cover already on in case Regina's water broke during the night, so all they had to do was throw on some older sheets that they wouldn't mind discarding after the birth. Once the bed was prepared, Emma had retrieved the first aid kid, towels, and a couple receiving blankets. The curtains were pulled back to let the natural light filter in and Emma brought up wood and had started the fireplace.

Regina's contractions were getting closer and Emma tried the house phone again in vain. Seeing no one on the streets outside, she was starting to have doubts on whether she could safely deliver their child.

"Stop worrying," Regina stated from seated position on the bed, shaking Emma from her thoughts.

"What makes you think I'm worrying?" Emma challenged as she approached their bed and sat next to her wife's side.

"Because I know you better than you know yourself," Regina quipped with a smirk, throwing Emma's earlier words back at her.

The blonde chuckled. "Duly noted, my queen."

Regina grinned triumphantly before she grimaced in pain. Biting her bottom lip until she tasted copper, it took every bit of strength that Regina had left not to scream out. Whimpers sounded from her throat and her eyes were tightly sealed shut. She barely registered Emma's soothing hands on her face and hair.

"Regina, breathe…you have to breathe," Emma encouraged as her wife's painful whimpers broke her heart.

"I can't!" Regina suddenly snapped, instantly reminding the blonde of their fight in the hospital supply closet as she pinned her against some lockers.

Emma shook her head of the memories and focused on her wife. "Yes, you can."

"I feel like…I think I want to start pushing," Regina indicated as she finally felt the pain ease up.

"Trust your body, it's probably right," Emma explained. "Let me check before I go get Henry. We're going to need his help."

Regina could only nod as she lowered herself to lie on her back. She had changed into a long night gown when they replaced the bed sheets and Emma was amazed by how her wife still managed to remain beautiful and modest, even in full labor.

"Oh my God," Emma breathed out as she looked between her wife's legs. "The…she…I need to get the kid!"

Emma tore out of the room and disappeared, allowing Regina a moment alone to silently cry at the reality of giving birth to their child at home. She was both frightened and excited of what was to come, but a part of her worried that something would go wrong and they'd have no way to get to the hospital in time. Another contraction distracted her from her thoughts and she forced herself to stay strong as she went through it alone, the pain finally subsiding just before her wife and son came barreling into the room. Regina couldn't help but smile happily at her son even though she knew she looked like hell. Henry quickly clambered up on the bed and sat beside his brunette mother before he clasped her hand into his own.

"I'm here for support and encouragement," Henry reported with a toothy grin.

"Since I have to help bring our daughter into the world, I asked Henry to take my place of where I would've been had we actually gotten to the hospital," Emma explained.

"A white knight, just like his mother," Regina teased before she felt her muscles start to tighten once again. "Oh, here comes another one."

"I need you to push into it, Regina," Emma ordered as she sat by her wife's knees.

Regina did as she was told while gripping her son's hand and a new kind of pain tore through her as the tiny body within started to move down. She barely had time to recuperate before another searing pain ripped through her. The more Regina pushed, the closer the contractions became or at least, that's how it seemed to her.

"I'm going to fucking hurt you, Miss Swan, if it is the last thing I do!" Regina belted out through tightly clenched teeth.

Emma quickly recovered from the shock of her wife cursing before she smiled sweetly and patted Regina's leg. "That's Mrs. Swan-Mills, my queen."

"Aaargh! Just get her out!" Regina screamed before she collapsed against the pillows in exhaustion. Sweat beaded along her forehead and Henry used the cool, dampened washcloth that he had retrieved earlier to gently dab against her overheated face.

"Thank you, Henry. You're such a good son," Regina praised before tears burst from her eyes and she started to sob. Henry looked worriedly towards Emma who mouthed 'it's okay' before he relaxed a little.

"Mom, don't cry," he whispered.

Regina turned her tired, watery eyes towards her son. "I'm alright, sweetheart. It would appear that I'm not in control of my emotions right now," she confessed before she looked to her wife. "I'm sorry for using such crude language towards you earlier. Will you accept my apology?"

Emma rubbed her hands on her wife's shaking knees. "You're allowed to say and do whatever you like today. You've earned it."

The labor pain started to build again and Regina whimpered. "I can't push anymore. Please, Emma...I can't."

"Yes you can, Mom," Henry encouraged before he helped his mother sit up enough for him to crawl in behind her. "I got your back, literally. We're gonna get through this together."

Regina allowed her son to take both of her hands and she felt his small body press against her back, forcing her to sit up with him. She gripped his hands tightly, but not enough to hurt him, as she focused on her wife in front of her and pushed.

"Her head is clear," Emma announced as the contraction passed and Regina slumped back against her son in exhaustion.

"One more push, Regina; one more and it's all over," Emma explained as she cradled their daughter's head.

Determination settled over the brunette's features and with renewed strength, she bore down with all she had left with a feral scream. Regina felt the tiny body suddenly leave her own and she collapsed against Henry as all the energy seemed to rush out of her.

Emma looked down at the newborn in amazement before she felt a surge of power ripple through her as her magic was finally restored.

"She's beautiful," Emma cried out as she set their daughter on her wife's chest. Tears sprang to everyone's eyes as Regina held her child for the first time. Emma quickly clamped and cut the umbilical cord with shoe laces and scissors before she scrubbed a receiving blanket over the newborn. The joy everyone was feeling had started to shift to worry when the infant remained silent against her mother's chest.

"Why isn't she crying, Emma?" Regina pleaded as she gazed into her concerned wife's eyes.

Emma wordlessly scooped up the infant and quickly laid her down on the unoccupied part of the bed. Using the suction bulb she had brought in case they needed it, she suctioned the baby's nose and mouth until nothing more seemed to come out.

"Come on sweetie, come on," Emma begged before she brought her daughter to her face and gave a tiny puff of air into her mouth and nose.

Henry's small arms held his weakened dark-haired mother tightly against him as she cried out and struggled against his grip.

"No Mom, have faith. Ma will save her," Henry encouraged to his distressed parent. "She'll save her."

Emma fought against the tears blurring her vision as she gave her newborn daughter another puff of air. Suddenly the infant gasped and spluttered before crying her little lungs out, causing a sudden wave of relief to wash over the family. Emma held the newborn against her chest in a silent thank you before she kissed the baby's crown and handed her over to her distraught wife.

"Don't ever do that again," Regina softly scolded as she held her daughter protectively in her arms. "Never again."

Emma kissed her wife's cheek before she kissed her daughter's head. "I need to see if I can teleport. Henry, take care of your mother and sister."

The preteen nodded as he scooted around to gaze upon his new sibling. "You got it, Ma."

Emma flashed out in a swirl of golden-white before she reappeared in the hospital. With a triumphant grin, she ran to the maternity wing and hunted down Dr. Behr, knowing she stayed at the hospital to care for her patients during the storm.

"Dr. Behr!" Emma shouted as she spotted the woman exiting a patient's room. "I'm so glad to see you...and to see electricity again. Is this from the generators or do you have power back?"

"Generator," Dr. Behr answered before she crinkled her forehead in concern. "Why are you here alone? Is Regina okay?"

"She just gave birth at home," Emma explained. "We had no phone, no magic, and no way of getting here so she gave birth the good old-fashioned way. She was amazing."

"Were there any complications?"

"The baby wasn't breathing when she was born, but she's breathing now."

"Wait, how did you get here?" Dr. Behr asked in confusion.

"My magic returned with the birth of my daughter."

"Emma, can you get Regina and the baby here? I need to check them out immediately," the doctor indicated in concern.

"Of course. Is there a room available I can bring them to?"

Dr. Behr paused for a moment before she said, "334."

"Be back shortly."

Emma reappeared in her bedroom and was happy to see her family huddled together on the bed. Regina's face was filled with such love that Emma couldn't help but grin like a fool as she walked over and brushed the damp locks of ebony hair from her wife's face, tucking them behind her ear.

"I need to take you to the hospital," Emma murmured. "Dr. Behr is waiting for us."

Regina looked up with a skeptical expression. "Are you sure you can transport us?"

"Trust me," Emma said before she carefully scooped her wife up into her strong arms.

Regina tightened her hold on their daughter as Emma held her close.

"Henry, I'll be right back for you," Emma indicated before she puffed out in a plume of magical smoke.

Appearing in the room Dr. Behr had assigned, Emma quickly deposited her wife on the bed as Dr. Behr and two nurses rushed over. Emma left for a moment to retrieve their son and she watched as their daughter was rushed out of the room while Dr. Behr worked on Regina.

"They'll bring her right back Regina, don't worry," Dr. Behr promised before she turned to Emma. "You may want to take your son and head over to where your daughter is being cared for. Your wife didn't pass the after birth yet and I doubt you want to be here for that."

"Please...stay with our baby," Regina pleaded.

"Alright," Emma agreed before she kissed her wife's forehead and left the room with Henry.

* * *

After a couple hours of separation, the family was reunited once again in Regina's hospital room. Emma was able to borrow a cell phone and she got an update from Deputy Locke about the damage the town had sustained. Luckily, it wasn't as bad as Emma had thought and it was only a matter of time before power would be restored and the phone lines were fixed.

Henry had passed out in the lounge chair the minute his sister was returned to his mothers and Emma had covered him up with a blanket before she stretched out beside her wife as Regina held their daughter in her arms. Dr. Behr said both mother and baby were healthy and would be able to go home the following day.

"I thought for sure she'd have your dark hair," Emma observed as she brushed her fingers over their daughter's fine auburn hair. "Instead, I think she'll have a shade somewhere in between. I bet you more than anything though, that she'll have your stunning brown eyes."

Regina ran her thumb soothingly over her daughter's fingers as she held the tiny hand. "I'm still finding it difficult to believe that I actually gave birth to a child, our child."

"Don't you think it's about time that we gave her a name?"

"I thought you were going to pick some from the books you've been obsessing over and allow me to make the final choice," Regina indicated with an amused grin.

"I did pick names; three to be more precise," Emma answered as she gazed upon her daughter. "The first one I picked is Avalon, because it means apple tree and after everything you've been through, that damn apple tree has been by your side, so I thought it deserved a chance to be honored. Felicity was the second name I picked, which means happiness because she is the epitome of our happily ever after, and the third…well, the third is kind of a play on us being fairytale characters."

"Oh, please do tell," Regina probed.

"Well, I don't know how much TV you've watched or if at all, but Disney has a princess named Sofia. She's a little girl who went from being a commoner to royalty overnight and she's referred to as Sofia the first and I figured hey, our kid is a first too because no one else in the entire fairytale kingdom has a child born from two magical mothers," Emma rambled before she dropped her head and sighed. "I know, it's a dumb idea."

Regina couldn't understand why, but the names that Emma had chosen caused her eyes to fill with moisture. Staring down at the precious bundle in her arms, she already knew what name she wanted. "I like them all, but I like your final choice the most. Hello my sweet little Sofia. I'm your mother."

Emma beamed a huge grin at her wife. "You don't think it's a stupid idea, being it's a Disney princess name?"

"How do you know she wasn't meant to be given the name Sofia in order for the character to be created?" Regina challenged with an arched brow. "What if she is the original Sofia, but somehow Mr. Walt Disney and his company had some magical guidance of knowing things before or as they occur. How else would they have created all those animated films about me and everybody else from the other realm?"

"Okay, now you're just messing with me," Emma chided as her wife chuckled softly.

"Either way, the name suits her perfectly," Regina mused as she smiled brightly at her newborn daughter. "She completes me somehow. It's almost like she's filled that last void in my heart with this light and for the first time in a long time, I can honestly say that I am happy."

"Me too, my love…me too," Emma murmured before she leaned over and captured Regina's lips in a chaste kiss. "I have something for her that I magically made, well altered, while I was waiting for the doctors to finish up with you two."

Emma held out her hands and concentrated for a few seconds before a swirl of golden-white magic appeared over her palms and produced a blanket out of thin air. Quickly inspecting it to make sure it was updated, she placed the folded item on Regina's lap before she took her daughter from her wife.

"What is this?" Regina questioned as she picked up the heavy white-knitted blanket and inspected it. Tears pricked her eyes when she saw the intricate purple ribbon running along the border of the blanket and a small corner section with a label that read 'Sofia' in purple stitching. "Emma, this looks just like your baby blanket."

"It is my blanket," she corrected. "I enchanted it with a spell. It's been rejuvenated to its original form and the name section will change for every child born into this family for generations to come."

"Emma…," Regina whispered as she choked back a sob. "It's perfect."

Regina spread out the blanket on her lap and Emma understood what her wife wanted as she gently placed their slumbering daughter in the center of it before the brunette wrapped it securely around her tiny frame. Cradling Sofia back in her arms, Regina held her close as Emma wrapped her arm around her wife's shoulders and gently positioned her so that Regina cuddled into her side as they watched their daughter in fascination and awe.

"Today is the beginning of a whole new life for us," Emma murmured softly.

* * *

_One week later..._

Piercing cries rattled Emma's sleep-deprived brain as she cracked open her swollen eyes and glared at the baby monitor sitting on her night stand. Sofia might've been a newborn, but somehow she managed to defeat the powerful evil queen and the mighty savior in fell swoop. Emma never realized how needy an infant could be and Regina, even though she raised Henry from three days old, started to doubt her ability to raise a daughter, afraid that one false move would corrupt Sofia forever.

The wails continued to pour through the two-way device and Emma rolled out of bed before she stumbled down the hallway in a zombie-like trance. Entering her daughter's nursery, she gathered up the tiny bundle into her arms before she carefully made her way back to the master bedroom, only to find Regina was sitting up in bed, waiting for her daughter to be handed over.

"Are you sure about this, Gina? I could always go downstairs and get a bottle," Emma offered as she passed the infant to the brunette before sitting beside her.

"I'll feel like I'm failing her somehow if I don't at least try. I need to keep trying," Regina confessed as she pushed her nightgown aside and placed her daughter against her chest.

Regina was adamant about breastfeeding, wanting the experience she thought she would never be gifted to enjoy, but Sofia was proving to be difficult and refused to suckle. Time and again, Regina would try until Emma would go retrieve a prepared bottle and hand it over. Every time Sofia refused, a small piece of Regina's heart would break off, leading the reformed woman to believe that she would become her own mother; a woman incapable of providing nourishment and love for her own daughter.

Emma observed in sadness as Sofia fussed and cried out, moving her head back and forth but refusing to latch on. She knew it was hurting her wife, but there was nothing she could do. Tonight though, Emma's exhausted mind decided maybe she should talk to the newborn and hope for the best. As crazy as it sounded, she had nothing to lose by trying.

Leaning over, she gazed upon her daughter's face and murmured, "Sofia, you can't keep playing games like this. Mommy is getting very upset that you won't eat because she thinks she is failing you, but we know that's not true. I know you love her, but she doesn't know that. So please baby girl, stop being so stubborn and eat."

Sofia arched and fussed in response to Emma's voice before she turned her head and latched on for the first time. Regina inhaled sharply at the sensation of her daughter suckling from her and she brushed the downy hair on her daughter's head as tears slipped down her face. Emma reached out and wiped the moisture away before she carefully climbed behind Regina and settled the brunette back against her body.

"I guess she really is as stubborn as me," Emma noted in a soft chuckle. "How are you doing? Are you alright? Is she hurting you?"

A huge, heartwarming grin spread across Regina's face as she gazed upon the newborn in her arms. "There are no words to express how this feels for me."

"Do you still have doubts about yourself as her mother?"

"I will always have doubts, but right now…no, not at all."

Emma kissed her wife's head and they watched together as their daughter drank her fill before Emma placed her back in her crib. For the first time since Sofia's birth, everyone was able to get a little more sleep that night.


	24. Chapter 24

**AN: Hello everyone! This fanfic is a huge accomplishment for me with all the favs, follows, and reviews I've gotten so far for this story. You guys are amazing and I appreciate every one of you! Also, I had to ****literally ****rewrite this entire chapter which caused a delay in posting it. Sorry guys :(**

**The timeline is going to start skipping ahead a little bit. This story is also now finished and there will be a total of 28 chapters. **

**Small reminder: August remains an adult and isn't wood in this fanfic.  
**

* * *

_6 months later…_

Regina had barely made it three steps inside the threshold of the diner before Granny rushed over and took Sofia from her arms. Had it been over a year ago, Regina wouldn't have hesitated to rip the elderly woman's heart out before smiting her on the spot, but the happily married, mother of two just watched with a warm smile as her daughter babbled in Granny's arms.

Ruby stepped out from the kitchen and beamed when she saw the Swan-Mills family had entered the establishment. She quickly made her way over to the group and exchanged pleasantries before she turned her attention to Sofia.

"Good morning, baby girl!" Ruby greeted as she nuzzled the infant over Granny's shoulder.

The entrance door suddenly swung open and Ruby gave a frustrated sigh as she watched two people enter the diner before she placed a quick kiss to Sofia's cheek and followed the couple to their table to take down their order.

Archie, whom was seated at the bar, polished off his cup of coffee before he grabbed his umbrella and walked over to Granny.

"Hello princess Sofia," Dr. Hopper murmured before he brushed his hand gently over the baby's soft auburn hair.

"Hi Archie!" Henry greeted from his place between Regina and Emma.

"Hello Henry," he replied before Archie turned to his mothers and gave a slight tip of his head. "Mayor and Sheriff Swan-Mills."

The two women offered a smile in response and watched as Archie playfully tapped Sofia's nose before he left the establishment.

Emma shook her head and laughed at how their daughter had captured the hearts of everyone in Storybrooke, which seemed almost ironic since her dark-haired mother was notorious for doing it…literally.

"Sofia is quite the attention grabber," Emma mused as she escorted Regina and Henry over to an empty booth. It wasn't uncommon for them to let their daughter be confiscated whenever they ate at the diner.

"I'm just thankful that our daughter will have loving people in her life," Regina noted as they watched August enter the diner and steal Sofia away from Granny. August kissed Sofia's crown before he held her high above his head, effectively making the baby scream out in delighted giggles.

"Trust me, our kids will always have someone looking out for them," Emma implied as she looked across the table at Henry. "Isn't that right, kid?"

"That's right," Henry agreed before Ruby approached them and took down their order.

* * *

Later that day, Emma was lounged out in her office chair at the sheriff's station while reading a magazine when the desk phone suddenly shrilled to life and startled her. She grumbled under her breath about rude people interrupting her reading time before she straightened up in her seat and answered the call.

She was surprised to hear the school nurse on the other end of the line, informing her that Henry was running a fever and needed to be picked up.

"I'll be there in a few minutes," Emma told the school nurse before she hung up and grabbed her belongings.

"Hey Locke, I gotta go pick up my son from school so I'm taking the rest of the day off. Nurse said he's running a fever."

Locke twisted in her seat and frowned. "Good luck with that. Rumor has it that there's a nasty bug going around."

"Wonderful. Call me if you need anything," Emma added before she left the station.

On her drive over to the school, she heard her wife's ringtone sound from her pocket and she quickly dug out her cell phone before she answered it.

"Hey, I was just about to call you," Emma started, but paused when she heard her daughter crying on the other end. "What is Sofia doing with you?"

"I had to leave work early to pick Sofia up from daycare and bring her home," Regina answered as their daughter wailed in her arms. "She has a fever and it appears that two teeth are trying to cut through along the bottom of her gum line."

"Geez, what the hell happened between breakfast at Granny's and now?" Emma wondered as she shook her head at their misfortune. "I'm on my way to the school as we speak to pick up Henry, who is also running a fever."

"Children can develop a cold rather quickly. I believe we are in for quite a long week, dear," Regina stated before she paused to try and comfort the screaming child. "Sofia, it's alright sweetheart."

"Poor girl," Emma sympathized.

"She is not a very happy baby right now," Regina declared. "I hate to ask this of you, but I need you to swing by the pharmacy and pick up some medicine for our children. If Henry seems too sick to make the trip, drop him off first before venturing back out."

"I'm sure the kid could handle a pit stop," Emma replied before she winced at the volume of her daughter's louder cries. "I'll be home in a bit."

Emma hung up the phone just as she pulled up in front of the school. The idea of two sick children full of snot and vomit made her cringe, but she knew she couldn't leave Regina to handle it alone. Even with two full-time children, Emma still lacked the finesse of motherhood that seemed to come easily to her more experienced wife. She silently prayed that they'd survive the week in one piece before she exited the vehicle and entered the building to retrieve her ill son.

* * *

Sofia's cries broke through the peaceful night air of the slumbering household, causing Emma to jostle awake in confusion before her disoriented brain remembered that she was sleeping on the floor in Henry's room. Quietly getting to her feet, she checked her son's forehead and sighed in relief when she felt his skin had cooled to a more acceptable temperature. Sofia's crying started to quell in the other room and Emma knew Regina was the reason behind the returned silence.

"Sofia okay?" Henry mumbled as he blinked his eyes sleepily and coughed.

"Hey kid," Emma greeted softly as she brushed his damp hair off his face. "Sofia's fever broke earlier today, but her teeth haven't cut through yet and she's still congested. Needless to say, your sister's pretty miserable right now."

"She sounds miserable."

"Sit up for me so I can take you temperature," Emma instructed as she grabbed the thermometer from the desk and stuck it in his mouth.

Three days of cranky, sick children and Emma was just about at her wit's end. Both children ran fevers almost nonstop, but Henry ended up with chest congestion and a cough while Sofia had head congestion with a stuffed up nose.

The thermometer beeped and Emma removed it from her son's mouth before she glanced at the numbers.

"98.8. Looks like your fever finally broke," Emma praised before she handed him a glass of water from the end table. "Try to drink the whole glass before you go back to sleep. I'll wake you in a few hours for your next dose of medicine."

"Okay, night Ma."

After tucking him in, Emma kissed her son's head before she exited the room and quietly entered Sofia's nursery. She spotted Regina in the rocking chair breastfeeding their distraught daughter as tears streamed down both of their faces. Snuffled sounds came from Sofia as she struggled to breathe through her congested nose, having to pause every few seconds to take in a deep breath before she went back to suckling.

"How's Henry?" Regina asked as she quickly brushed the tears from her face.

"What's wrong?"

"Tell me how my son is," Regina snapped as she blatantly ignored Emma's concern.

"Fever broke; he's drinking a glass of water right now before he goes back to sleep. Poor kid is drained," Emma murmured as she leaned back against the changing table near Regina. "Are you okay?"

"I'm exhausted, Emma. She won't give me any reprieve and I don't know how to make her feel better," Regina confessed. "I'm a horrible mother."

"Hey now, stop that. You're an amazing mother, you're just tired."

Regina looked down at Sofia in sadness. "Henry rarely became ill as an infant, but when he did…I don't remember feeling this helpless with him. I don't like it."

Emma chuckled softly before she knelt beside the rocker and took her wife's free hand. "It's okay to feel things, Regina. It's what makes us human. Our lives have drastically changed from what they were before I came to Storybrooke. We now have love and happiness, but with it comes the occasional pain and sadness. You have to experience one in order to appreciate the other."

"Since when did you become so philosophical?"

"I don't know," Emma laughed. "I guess the lack of sleep is getting to me too."

Regina smiled down at her wife before Sofia fussed in her arms.

"Here, let me," Emma offered as she got to her feet and gathered the baby into her arms. Sofia started to get upset at being moved and taken away from her comfort, but true tears poured from her eyes when Emma placed her on the changing table and begun cleaning her nose out with the suction bulb.

Regina quietly observed as Emma continued to clear some of the mucus from their daughter's nose before her heart wrenching cries became too much. Reaching over, Regina scooped her daughter back up before she placed her against her shoulder and gently rocked her side to side. Her cries lessened, but audible whines continued to come from her as Regina murmured sweet words of comfort into her ear.

"Regina, you need to get some rest. Let me take her for a bit," Emma suggested as she grabbed a pacifier from the nearby dresser.

"I'm fine," Regina snapped.

"Regina," Emma said in a warning tone. "Don't get defensive with me."

The brunette looked over and Emma could see the tears glistening in her bloodshot eyes. Reaching out, Emma wordlessly took Sofia from her wife's arms before she sat down in the rocking chair. Sofia's cries started to build in earnest until Emma stuck the pacifier in her mouth and cradled her so that her ear rested above Emma's heart. The cries stopped almost immediately and Emma grinned triumphantly as her daughter's eyes started to grow heavy with sleep. Regina stood idly by with a look of awe on her face.

"You did it," Regina praised.

"For now anyway," Emma retorted as she gently rocked the chair. "Go get some sleep while she's content. I'll join you in a bit."

"Thank you," Regina whispered before she gave Emma a chaste kiss and left the room.

* * *

By the time Friday had rolled around, Henry was back to his normal self, but Sofia was still congested and cranky. The mothers were able to get some sleep since Henry didn't need to be doted on while they took turns caring for Sofia. Her teeth had finally cut through the night before, but it didn't seem to ease the distress the baby appeared to be in.

After tucking everyone in for the night, Emma and Regina had just fallen asleep when Sofia's screams blared through the baby monitor. Regina quickly got up and disappeared from the room to calm her upset child, but something wasn't right.

In the haze of sleep, Emma realized Sofia was still crying even though she was sure Regina had been with her for some time. Lifting her head, she listened to her daughter's distress before she clambered out of bed and entered the nursery.

"She won't stop crying," Regina quickly told her as she paced the room with Sofia. "I tried feeding her, cleaned out her nose, but she is still crying. I don't know what to do, Emma. What do I do?"

Something about the frantic tone of her wife caused a streak of fear to run down Emma's spine. Regina wasn't one to get scared or upset and even when she did, she still managed to be somewhat in control, especially when it came to their children. But the distraught mother who paced before Emma was almost foreign to her as Regina practically oozed with anxiety and panic.

"Should we take her to the hospital?" Emma suggested.

"I don't know," Regina answered quickly. "She doesn't have a fever and she seems to be okay, but something is making her upset."

Emma observed Sofia for a moment before she realized something.

"Her ear," Emma indicated. "She's pulling on her ear. She wasn't doing that earlier today, was she?"

Regina paused and looked at what Emma had pointed out before she clicked her tongue in anger. "How did I miss that. She probably has an ear infection."

"I used to get severe ear infections when I was a kid; painful as hell," Emma remembered with a shudder before she looked at the clock on the wall. "At this late hour in our small little town, the only option we have left is the hospital. Considering the nonstop crying and the pain she's probably in, I think we should take her to the ER. I'm sure Dr. Whale can give her some good medicine compared to that over the counter crap we've been giving her."

"Okay," Regina agreed as she held the screaming baby close. "Go wake Henry."

* * *

Sofia fussed and whimpered on the exam table as Dr. Whale checked her over for a few minutes before he pulled back and sighed.

"You two were right; your daughter has an ear infection. Probably caused by the congestion she had this past week," Dr. Whale indicated before he walked over to a locked cabinet and opened it, pulling out a syringe and glass jar of medicine. "I'm going to give her an shot of antibiotics to help her fight the infection and then I'll give her something for the pain."

Emma and Regina cooed over their distressed daughter while Dr. Whale prepped the needle. Henry quickly covered his eyes, not wanting to see his sister get jabbed.

"Hold her down," Whale ordered before he stuck the syringe into the baby's thigh.

Sofia's screams reached a whole new level of high as it pierced the eardrums of everyone in the confined room before Regina lifted her up and comforted her. Sofia continued to sob and Regina quickly took a seat in the unoccupied chair before she started to unbutton her blouse.

"I've discovered over the past few months that breastfeeding tends to calm her down," Regina explained as Emma hovered in front of her to block Whale's view.

"Actually, it's a common practice to soothe an ailing child and often recommended by doctors," Whale informed as kept his eyes adverted. "I need to go down the hall to retrieve pain medication for her, so it'll give you guys a few minutes of privacy to calm her down."

Once Dr. Whale left the room, Emma turned and leaned over to cradle Sofia's head as she gently ran her thumb over the baby's soft hair. Their daughter suckled vigorously from Regina as she paused to breathe every few seconds, but her cries had thankfully lessened to soft whimpers while she continued to tug at her ear.

"Is she going to be okay?" Henry asked as he glanced worriedly at his sister in his mother's arms. "I never heard her scream like that before."

"She'll be fine, Henry," Emma assured as she reached over and cupped her son's cheek. "The shot that she was given will help clear up her ear infection and cold."

A soft knock on the door sounded before Dr. Whale stepped back in and frowned.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news. The only pain meds we have on hand for an infant less than twelve months old are administered through injection only," Whale stated as he held up the syringe. "On the plus side, it'll kick in quickly so she should be pain free in a matter of minutes. Now, we can keep her the way she is and give her the shot or bring her back up on the table; it's up to you two."

"I'd rather not have a part of my anatomy bitten off with her newly acquired teeth," Regina quipped before she pulled her daughter away and handed her over to Emma. Regina decided to keep her shirt unbuttoned and she cinched her top closed with one hand instead. "Give her the medicine and then hand her right back to me. Maybe if we're quick about it, she won't cry as much."

Emma nodded in agreement before she placed Sofia down on the table and watched as her daughter pouted up at her. "I'm sorry boo bear, but you need another shot. I promise this one will make you feel better though and take away your pain."

Tears slid from her daughter's chestnut eyes as her bottom lip trembled with an impending cry. Her focus shifted over to the doctor as he held the needle in his hand above her.

"Here we go," Whale said as he brought the needle down to Sofia's thigh, only for it to disappear from his hand. "What the hell?"

Regina was still seated so she couldn't see what had happened, whereas Emma, Henry, and Dr. Whale all witnessed the needle vanish from his hand in a puff of pink smoke.

"Holy shit," Emma muttered before she picked her daughter up and held her protectively.

Regina jumped to her feet in concern. "What's going on?"

"Sofia…I think Sofia has magic," Emma informed as she flashed worried eyes towards her wife.

"No…it can't be; she's too young," Regina whispered in shock.

"Whale, grab another needle and try to stick her with it," Emma ordered.

"Are you serious?!"

"Did you not just witness your needle vanish into thin air? Trust me and try to prick her again, but make sure she sees it," Emma directed.

Dr. Whale grumbled as he retrieved a new needle from the drawer and filled it with saline. Turning back to face the family, he held the syringe up as Emma placed Sofia back down on the table. Regina stood beside her wife as she watched the doctor bring the needle down, only for it to also disappear in a puff of pink smoke.

"Our daughter has magic," Regina murmured in astonishment before she lifted up Sofia and sat back down with her. "You have magic."

"This isn't good. We're going to have to bind her powers or something," Emma frantically stated as she watched her wife return to breastfeeding their daughter. "At least until she's old enough to handle magic."

"I believe that would be in everybody's best interest that we bind them, like we did with your magic," Regina agreed.

"I'm going to go retrieve another syringe of pain meds. Regina, I know you'd rather not lose a vital body part, but I'm afraid our best approach is to keep her like that while I administer it. Just make sure she doesn't see me," Whale indicated before he left the room once again.

"I can't believe I didn't catch on to that. Of course she has magic," Henry declared to his shaken parents. "You both have magic of light and dark, and Sofia…she's the product of both of you. Do you realize what that means? It means my sister could be the most powerful witch of all, more powerful than Rumplestiltskin!"

"Let's not get ahead ourselves, kid," Emma chided before she turned to Regina and said, "He does have a point though."

"I know, and that is what worries me," Regina confessed with a frown.

Emma grabbed Sofia's lavender blanket from the diaper bag and slung it over Regina's shoulder so it blocked Sofia's view as she continued to suckle; it also protected Regina's modesty as Dr. Whale reentered the room and knelt down in front of her. Their daughter never saw the needle coming, but her eyes popped open the minute he administered it. For a moment Sofia froze before powerful sobs wracked her tiny frame.

"It's okay," Regina murmured as she peeked at her daughter underneath the blanket. "You're okay, sweetheart."

"That should do it," Whale said as he wrote up the paperwork. "If that ear infection doesn't clear up by Monday, bring her back in and we'll discreetly give her another dose of antibiotics. Oh and I'll uh, I'll keep her newly found gift to myself. Just make sure that you take care of it before someone else sees what she can do."

"Thank you, Whale," Emma stated.

Once the doctor left, the family hung out in the exam room for a few minutes until the pain medicine kicked in and Sofia passed out into a much-needed slumber. Emma took their daughter into her arms and cradled her while Regina buttoned her shirt and straightened it.

"When are you guys going to bind her magic?" Henry asked as he took his sister's smaller hand into his own.

"Tonight," Regina answered before she ushered them out of the exam room.

* * *

Sofia slept soundly between her two mothers on their queen-sized bed as neither of them had the heart to move her back to the nursery.

"Did we do the right thing? Binding her powers until her eighteenth birthday?" Emma asked softly.

"Most definitely," Regina answered as she ran her finger up and down her daughter's outstretched arm. "She is much too young to know the damage she could cause with magic and as we both know, all magic comes with a price. Besides, if our son is accurate in his prediction that she'll be the most powerful witch ever known, then her powers could make her a target for anybody greedy enough to manipulate her into a monster."

"Like Gold did to you," Emma pointed out, knowing what her wife was referring to.

"Exactly; without magic, she's safe to grow up as normal as possible. When she turns eighteen and her powers unbind, she'll be old enough to be taught by us on how to respectively use her magic."

Emma glanced down at her daughter and grinned. "Maybe we should've named her Lucinda instead."

"The little witch friend on Sofia's show?" Regina questioned with a rueful smirk.

"Yeah…wait; how did you know that?"

"I was curious as to whom we named our daughter after," Regina offered with a shrug.

Emma chuckled under her breath before she murmured, "I think we need to plan a family vacation to Disney World."

"That could be quite interesting," Regina mused. "How about we make plans to go down there for Sofia's first birthday?"

"Really? You'd really consider going to Disney?"

"Before the whole story book and operation cobra occurred, Henry used to beg me to take him to Disney World. I felt absolutely terrible turning him down every time he would ask, but I couldn't risk leaving town."

"Hold on, I'll be right back," Emma suddenly remarked before she carefully slipped from the bed and left the room.

A few minutes later she returned with a sleepy Henry as she directed him to the foot of the bed and held him steady with her hands on his shoulders.

"You woke him up?" Regina asked incredulously.

"Trust me, it'll worth it," Emma responded with a wink before she leaned down to whisper in her son's ear. "Ask your mother where we're going for Sofia's first birthday."

"Where are we going, Mom?" Henry asked through a yawn.

"We're going to Disney World."

Henry's eyes popped open and he was suddenly wide awake. "Seriously?!"

Regina nodded.

"Aweso…mmmph!" Henry was cut off when Emma's hand shot out and covered his mouth.

"Your sister," Emma indicated as she pointed to the bed before she removed her hand.

"Sorry," he apologized in a quieter voice. "This is going to be so awesome. We're gonna ride all the rides and then we'll take pictures of all the characters we know," Henry rattled on before his eyes lit up. "We have got to get a picture of Mom with the Evil Queen!"

Regina rolled her eyes and scoffed. "I feel I may regret this decision."

"Oh it'll be fun," Emma quipped. "How about we make it up to you by letting you take a pic with Snow White as you pretend to strangle her?"

Regina's eyes glinted before a Cheshire-worthy grin appeared on her face. "What makes you think I would _pretend_?"

"_Mom_," Henry chided before he walked over and planted a kiss on his brunette mother's cheek. "I love you."

Regina visibly swallowed around the lump that suddenly formed in her throat. Even after all this time, she was still not used to the sentiment being tossed around so freely from her son's mouth.

Getting over the shock, she flashed a grin and murmured, "I love you too, dear. Now make your mother take you back to bed and read you a story of your choosing."

"You're gonna make me read to him?" Emma whined.

"Do I have to repeat myself?" Regina challenged and she was delighted in the way her wife immediately caved before Emma grabbed Henry's shoulder and escorted him out of the room.

Regina looked down at her slumbering daughter before she brought Sofia's tiny fist that currently locked around her index finger up to her lips and kissed it.

"They may have their laughs at my expense while in Disney World, but we'll get the bigger laugh when I put you a miniature Evil Queen costume and parade you around in it," Regina mused as she watched her daughter sleep soundly for the first time in days.


	25. Chapter 25

**AN: I apologize for how long this took me to get posted. I accept the fifty slashes with the wet noodle for penance of my misdeed. ;) **

* * *

_5 1/2 months later…_

The lock clicked green to signify it recognized the key card before Henry shoved the heavy door open and entered the villa. His eyes were bright with unbridled excitement as he gazed upon the animal-themed room.

"This is awesome!" Henry cheered as he threw his bags down and quickly explored all the rooms. "Oh my god, the balcony overlooks the animals! There is a giraffe outside right now! Come look!"

Regina chuckled at her son's enthusiasm as she rolled two suitcases into the room, followed by Emma holding a sleeping Sofia nestled in one arm while she heaved the diaper bag and portable crib in the other.

"Let me take her while you set up her pack and play," Regina offered, not wanting to admit she missed the feel of her soon to be one year old daughter in her arms.

Emma wordlessly transferred Sofia over to her wife before she set the diaper bag down. Placing the pack and play on the floor, her tongue jutted out from the corner of her mouth as she unraveled the crib and started to lock it into place.

Emma would be the first to admit that when it came to manually setting anything up she was cursed, but as her daughter aged, she managed to put be quicker about opening the stroller, not pinch her fingers as often when she locked the car seat into the car, and she was even able to get the portable crib set up within ten minutes instead of the thirty minutes it used to take her.

Laying the bottom piece down inside the pack and play, Emma stood up and smiled at her quick work.

"Regina, it's ready for…," Emma trailed off when she realized her family was nowhere to be seen. "Gina?"

Stepping into the master bedroom, Emma smiled when she saw mother and son on the balcony watching the wild animals nearby as Sofia rested in Regina's arms.

Sliding the balcony door open, she stepped out into the warm air and smiled when she noticed that Sofia was actually awake. Lifting her head from her Regina's shoulder, Sofia gazed upon Emma with her big brown eyes that matched the russet shade of her brunette mother's dark irises.

"Mama," Sofia babbled as she grinned at her blonde mother.

Emma felt her heart flutter, the way it always did when her daughter looked at her with such adoration and called her Mama.

"Hey boo bear," Emma cooed before she kissed the auburn waves that now covered their daughter's head. "I just put your crib together, but I guess you're done with sleeping for now, huh?"

"Mama," she stated again and Emma chuckled.

"Sofia, look at the giraffes!" Henry encouraged as he realized his sister was awake.

Emma gently wrapped her arms around Regina's waist and she watched in amusement as her daughter moved her head to nestle it under Regina's chin. It was Sofia's favorite spot, resting her head against her mother's chest as she gripped the material of Regina's shirt in her chubby fist. Sofia sighed in content before she smacked her lips and Regina's smile widened at the noise before she started to rub tiny circles on her daughter's back.

"Henry, did you see the gorilla?" Emma questioned before she pointed to the far right.

He looked in her pointed direction and grinned. "Wicked! I'm glad we decided on staying in the Animal Kingdom. We're gonna have such a great time, since it's a first for all of us, right Mom?"

"That's right, dear," Regina answered. "I find it quite refreshing to be out of Storybrooke. I may not want to return."

"Maybe someday we'll move out of Storybrooke, but for now it's a stable home for our kids. Besides, I kinda like having a permanent residence and I don't think you're ready to separate from your magic just yet," Emma indicated before she stepped around Regina and gathered Sofia from her. "I'm gonna go make up a bottle and feed her. Spend some time with your son," Emma hinted before she planted a kiss on her wife's cheek and disappeared inside.

Regina walked over to stand beside Henry before she rested her hand on his shoulder. "So what park shall we explore first tomorrow?"

Henry looked up at her and quickly answered, "Magic Kingdom."

"How did I know you would pick that one first?" Regina mused with a raised eyebrow. "You've been yearning to see my reaction to our flawed replications, haven't you?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Henry quipped as his lips twitched to keep the smirk off his face.

"Of course you don't," Regina chuckled before she slid her hand across his shoulders and wrapped him up in a half hug.

* * *

Emma and Henry were practically bursting at the seams with anticipation as they passed through the Magic Kingdom gates with a less than amused Regina following behind as she pushed Sofia in her stroller. Being that it was on the cusp of winter, the weather was beautiful and the park wasn't overly crowded.

Making their way down Main Street, Regina couldn't help but shake her head at people's awed expressions and excitement over the castle they were heading towards.

"Pathetic," Regina chastised as they got closer. "Prince Thomas and Princess Ella's castle was more glorious than this flimsy excuse for a castle."

"Regina," Emma said in a warning tone before she sidled up to her wife's side. "You promised."

The brunette huffed before she quipped, "I'll behave."

Henry snapped several pictures of the castle with his newly acquired digital camera just for this trip before he turned to Regina and asked, "Did Cinderella's castle really look like this?"

Emma gave Regina a glare that screamed 'be nice' and the brunette deflated before she cleared her throat and answered, "Close, but not quite."

"How big was your castle, Mom?" Henry asked.

"Compared to this one? My palace was immense, at least triple the size of this so-called castle," Regina indicated with a glint to her eye before she cocked her head towards Emma. "Ask your mother; she's seen it."

"Was it really as big as Mom says it was?"

Emma looked up at the castle and couldn't help but sigh as she nodded her head. "Regina's castle was definitely bigger than this one."

Regina flashed Emma a smug expression before Henry caught sight of two costumed characters in front of the castle and shouted, "Look! It's Cinderella and Prince Charming!"

"Wait, why is Cinderella with my father?" Emma questioned in confusion.

"Maybe Mr. Disney had an inside scoop," Regina teased as they followed after their son.

"Hey, wait a minute! Are you saying my dad is a cheater?"

"If the _shoe_ fits," Regina responded with a wry grin.

"Oh, hardy har har," Emma quipped before she playfully bumped her shoulder against Regina's and smiled.

"Ma! Take my picture with them," Henry ordered as he handed his camera over to Emma and ran to Cinderella and Prince Charming's side.

"Well, aren't you a handsome young prince," Cinderella greeted as she cupped her hands together. "Don't you agree, Prince Charming?"

"Indeed he is," The prince answered as he clapped Henry on the shoulder with mock pride.

"If only they knew," Regina scoffed under her breath before she flashed a grin towards Henry and shouted, "Smile for the camera, darling!"

Emma snapped the picture and checked the image on the digital screen before she gave Henry the thumbs up to indicate that it came out good.

"Thanks Ma! Let's head for Tomorrowland first then make our way around," Henry suggested as he took his camera back. "We'll go to the Monster Inc laugh floor. I think Sofia will love it."

* * *

As the sun started to dip low in the sky, the Swan-Mills family had completed exploring most of the park. They decided to retrace their steps and visit the few rides they had missed throughout the day before heading back to the hotel. Henry and Emma insisted on going on the Mad Tea Party ride and Regina took the opportunity to sit on the sidelines and just absorb her surroundings. She hadn't admitted to it out loud, but it was evident that Regina was having a great day at the park with her family.

As she sat on a bench with Sofia in her lap facing out, Regina couldn't wipe the uncharacteristically cheesy grin that was plastered on her face as she watched her loved ones spinning in the tea cups and laughing.

"Your mama and brother are silly," she murmured as she gently brushed her hand over Sofia's fine hair.

Regina let out a hearty laugh when she witnessed Henry's head flop back as he fell into a fit of giggles when Emma gave the wheel a good spin, but something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye and she abruptly stopped laughing as her gaze snapped to the path on the right. Regina's body immediately tensed up as her eyes landed on the one character that Henry had been searching the park for all day; the Evil Queen herself. Regina couldn't help but glare at her supposed replica as she scrutinized the way she portrayed Regina to be.

The happiness she had felt all day started to be replaced by the old familiar feeling of rage until Sofia suddenly shrieked out a high pitch squeal. Regina glanced down in panic, only to eye her daughter in disbelief as she watched Sofia stretch her little arms out towards the approaching villain. All the anger she was feeling towards seeing this mockery of her existence instantly vanished as she observed her daughter's antics.

"My daughter likes the Evil Queen," Regina mused with a sly grin. "Imagine that."

The intimidating villain made her way over to the mother and child while Emma and Henry stared wide-eyed in the background as they scrambled from the now-stopped ride in order to save the poor costumed woman.

"Why is that child looking at me like that?" the Evil Queen asked as she stood before Regina. "It's as if she actually likes me."

"That is because she does like you," Regina answered. "She knows you aren't the villain. That title belongs to _Snow White_."

"Not many people realize that truth," the Evil Queen sneered as she took Sofia's hand into her own. "I've never been idolized by a child so small. Most children run from me. This admiration makes me feel uneasy."

"I know that feeling all too well. Trust me, just go with it."

Sofia continued to reach out as small frustrated grunts sounded from her until the Evil Queen finally took the baby into her arms. Emma and Henry paused behind the villain with slack jaws at the scene before them until Henry remembered his camera and started snapping pictures like crazy.

"My family is behind you and would like to get a picture of us together, if that's alright with you," Regina indicated as she watched the Evil Queen fight to stay in character at the unusual warmth Sofia was providing her.

Henry waited patiently as his mother stood side by side with the Evil Queen who still held his elated sister. It was comical and yet endearing as he captured a few pictures before he watched his mother take Sofia back from the villain.

"May I ask your name?" the Evil Queen asked.

"It's the same as yours," Regina answered with a rueful smirk.

"People just call me the Evil Queen."

"People used to refer to me by that name as well, but my family changed that for me. I now go by Regina, which I discovered is Latin for queen."

"Regina, it was a pleasure to meet you and your offspring."

"Your Majesty," Regina addressed as she gave a regal bow as best as she could with a giggling Sofia in her arms.

The Evil Queen also bowed. "Your Majesty," she replied in kind before she continued her way down the path through the park.

"That was so worth waiting for!" Henry cheered. "Ma and I saw her walking towards you when we were on the ride and we thought you were gonna smite her on the spot, but you didn't and then Sofia made the day by showing that she prefers the Evil Queen over any character we met so far. That was hilarious!"

"I'm glad I was able to provide ample entertainment for you two, now if you…"

"Goodness me! Have any of you seen the wicked old Evil Queen come this way?"

Regina stiffened at the voice that came from behind her before she half turned and noted with disdain that the character version of Snow White was standing there. Even though she made some sort of amends with her former nemesis, something about this Snow White grated on her retired villain nerves.

"She went that way, but can we get a picture of you and my Ma first before you go? She's a huge Snow White fan," Henry indicated before he pushed a reluctant Emma towards her mother's character.

"Oh, how simply delightful! If I didn't know any better, I'd mistaken you for Rapunzel with those beautiful golden curls," Snow White crooned before she wrapped an arm around Emma's waist and smiled as Henry took the picture.

"And who is this delightful girl?" Snow White questioned as she approached Sofia in Regina's arms. "Aren't you a beautiful little princess."

Regina watched as her daughter's bottom lip started to quiver before big crocodile tears spilled out from her chocolate eyes. Her little body quaked in her dark-haired mother's embrace until the inevitable wails escaped the baby girl's throat. Regina quickly pulled Sofia up, letting her daughter rest her head on her shoulder as she rubbed her back soothingly and held her close.

"Oh princess, I am so sorry! I didn't mean to make you cry," Snow White pleaded.

"She'll be alright," Regina murmured. "She prefers the villains over the princesses, especially the Evil Queen; she's her _favorite_."

"Oh," Snow white quipped as she straightened up. "Well then I'll leave you be in peace, little villain."

The character skipped away as the family stood quietly together for a few seconds until Emma burst out with laughter. Henry and Regina soon followed which caused Sofia to perk up at her family's sudden happiness.

"My little villain," Emma cooed as she scooped Sofia out of Regina's arms and blew a raspberry on her daughter's cheek, making the baby to giggle.

"Now I wish I had made her that Evil Queen costume," Regina indicated.

"I'm sure we can find a villain shop and get a t-shirt for her or something," Emma offered as she wiped the drying tears from Sofia's face. "So Henry, where to next?"

"Um…a Small World and Peter Pan's flight."

"Peter Pan?! Is that some sort of twisted joke?" Regina questioned with a shocked expression.

"What's wrong with Peter Pan? He's just a boy who flies around and never wants to grow up," Emma countered with a shrug. "He's harmless."

"Harmless?! Walt Disney may have led you to that conclusion, but believe me when I tell you that Peter Pan is anything but harmless," Regina stated as she neared her family and lowered her voice so only they could hear her. "Peter Pan is a shadow with soulless eyes that scours the countryside to kidnap boys from their beds in the dead of night. Neverland is said to be filled with the deafening cries of the imprisoned boys as they plead to be returned home to their families."

Henry and Emma stared wide-eyed at Regina for a long moment before the blonde turned to her son and stated, "We're not going on that ride…ever."

Henry didn't argue as he simply replied, "A Small World it is then."

* * *

Emma sighed as she collapsed unto the bed before turning over and resting her head on Regina's stomach.

"Both kids are out like a light," Emma mumbled against the brunette. "I'm exhausted."

"It has been quite a draining day. Did you have a good time though?"

Emma lifted her head to look up into the russet eyes of her wife. "I had a blast today. Seriously, I can't remember the last time I had so much fun, can you?"

Regina ran her fingers through Emma's hair before she answered, "Honestly, I cannot say for certain when or if I had ever had quite an entertaining day."

"I never thought I would have this, you know? The kids, a wife…a family to go on vacations with…it's almost surreal."

"I have to agree with you on that one," the brunette murmured. "I love our family, so much it almost hurts."

"I know the feeling," Emma agreed before she crawled up Regina's body and kissed her tenderly on the lips.

"We should get some sleep. Our _little villain_ will be up in five hours," Regina indicated with a smirk.

"Only our daughter would prefer the villains over the princesses. I mean the whole thing with the Evil Queen and Snow White was hysterical, but then Cruella De Vil comes along and Sofia was dazzled by her, only to cry when Jasmine approached her a few minutes later," Emma chuckled. "She's curled up in her crib right now with her Evil Queen plush doll clutched tightly in her arms."

"Do you think she knows it's a representation of me?"

"I don't know, maybe, but that doesn't explain why she adores all the other villains we saw today."

Regina frowned. "You don't think…is it possible I may have tainted our daughter?"

Emma saw the sadness cross her wife's features and she quickly reached up to cup Regina's cheek. "Hey, none of that, okay? Our daughter is pure and good. Stop thinking you passed some evil gene on to her just because she prefers the bad guys to the good guys."

Regina gave a tight smile. "I'm just afraid that one day our daughter will become like I was, like my mother was, and I don't ever want that to happen."

"Stop it; Sofia will never become evil and if, and I mean a big if, she were to turn to the dark side, it'd be her own doing and not by anything we did or didn't do," Emma indicated. "Besides, her actions today is because she takes after me, not you."

"Oh?"

"Yup, because I love villains; especially the Evil Queen and her sexy dresses," Emma growled before she attacked the brunette with love bites as she tickled her sides, causing Regina to yelp with laughter.

* * *

Their time in Florida passed by quickly and before they knew it, the family of four was back in Maine, where the weather was cold and damp. Emma wasn't surprised to see the scenery was blanketed in a thick layer of snow as they drove over the borderline and entered Storybrooke. She glanced to her right and noticed her wife, along with their children in the backseat, were all sound asleep as she drove through town and pulled up in front of the mansion.

Turning off the car, she unbuckled her seat belt and carefully leaned over the passenger seat before she tucked a lock of ebony hair behind Regina's ear.

"We're home," Emma whispered.

The brunette tensed up for a minute before her dark eyes blinked open and focused on the blonde in front of her. Emma placed a quick peck to Regina's cheek before she opened her door and stepped out.

"Holy shit, it's cold up here," Emma cursed as she pulled her coat tighter around her body.

She watched as Regina bristled when she also exited the car before they both opened the back doors and unbuckled their slumbering children.

"You sure you don't want to trade?" Emma gritted out as she hefted Henry's dead weight into her arms and kicked the car door closed.

"As much as I miss holding my little boy in my arms, I doubt I could even make it to the front door with him," Regina confessed before she wrapped Sofia up in her blanket and pulled her out of her car seat. "You know dear, you could always wake him up and let him walk himself into the house."

Emma shifted her preteen son's body before she shook her head at her wife. "Nah, I only have another year or two before this is no longer an option."

Regina smiled in understanding before they made their way to the front door and entered the house. Emma quickly scaled the stairs and placed Henry in his bed while Regina placed Sofia in the pack and play that they kept in the living room.

The couple worked in amicable silence for a few minutes as Regina started the fireplace while Emma brought their luggage in. By the time the car was emptied, Regina had the fireplace roaring and was already working on making dinner.

Checking on Sofia, Emma wasn't surprised to see her daughter's chestnut eyes blinking up at her as a toothy grin appeared on her face. Her small arms reached up and Emma took the silent queue to pick her up.

"Hi boo bear," Emma greeted as she brushed unruly auburn curls from her daughter's face.

Sofia blinked sleepily as her smile increased before she let out a soft sigh and dropped her head to Emma's shoulder. Wrapping her free arm around her daughter, Emma cuddled with her youngest child for a moment before she headed towards the kitchen.

Regina had just placed dinner in the oven when she looked up to see her two favorite girls. Emma couldn't help but notice the way Regina's entire frame oozed with such adoration every time she was in the presence of their children.

Removing her apron, Regina made her way over and kissed Sofia's crown.

"Good morning, sweetheart. Did you have a nice nap?"

Sofia perked up at hearing Regina's voice and she immediately shifted, twisting her body and practically dropping against her brunette mother's chest. Emma laughed as she handed the baby over.

"Spoiled girl," Emma murmured as she started to lightly poke Sofia's ribs, causing their daughter to wriggle.

"Go check on our son," Regina ordered as she swatted Emma's teasing hand away from Sofia.

"No need, I'm awake."

Both mothers turned to see Henry enter the kitchen and sleepily approach them. He leaned against Emma's side and she wrapped her arm around his shoulders to steady him.

"Dinner is in the oven," Regina indicated as she reached her free hand out and brushed Henry's hair off his face. "Why don't you go get washed up and set the table."

"Okay Mom," Henry mumbled before he turned and left the room.

"I can't believe we're home already," Emma sighed as she sat down at the kitchen island. "It was fun while it lasted though, right?"

"I do believe it was a successful trip, yes."

"That's not what I asked," Emma chided. "Regina, tell me the truth while Henry's out of the room. Did you have fun?

Regina's eyes glinted with what could only be described as mischief and possibly excitement.

"I had more fun than you could possibly perceive me to be capable of," Regina answered as she placed Sofia in her highchair. "I find myself already planning another trip somewhere in the near future."

"Oh? And where would this future trip destination be?"

"I'm not sure yet, but I know for certain that it won't be anywhere near here."

Emma got up and slid her arms around Regina's waist before pulling her close. "Maybe one of these future trips could be a little getaway for just me and you."

"I would like that," Regina murmured before she leaned in and kissed her wife. "I would like that very much."

"Mama!" Sofia suddenly cried out, causing her startled parents to separate and face her.

A grin broke out on Sofia's face as she looked between her two mothers. Emma gave the child a mock glare before she embraced Regina once more. Just as she was about to kiss the brunette, Sofia yelled "Mama!" once again.

"Why you little c-blocker," Emma playfully chastised before she scooped the giggling girl up into her arms. "You're doing that on purpose."

Emma lifted her daughter up high into the air before she brought her down and blew a raspberry on her belly. Peals of laughter echoed throughout the kitchen and both women couldn't help but smile at the sound. Setting Sofia on her hip, Emma looked over at Regina pointedly.

"She keeps this little game up, we'll definitely be planning that trip for just the two of us sooner rather than later," Emma indicated.

"Indeed," Regina agreed with a smirk before she leaned in and kissed Emma.

"Mama!"

Both women laughed as they broke apart and gazed upon their daughter.

"Our little villain," Regina mused before she planted a kiss to Sofia's head.


End file.
